


I Ordered Pizza, But Was Delivered A Problem

by Nothing_You_Can_Prove



Series: The Chasefield Chapters [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Pizza Place, Based on a Tumblr Post, F/F, Fluff, NSFW, Romance, Sexual Content, chasefield, pizza delivery au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-27 17:42:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 95,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5057911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nothing_You_Can_Prove/pseuds/Nothing_You_Can_Prove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I saw this idea on my Tumblr dashboard and loved it. It's for a Maximum Victory Pizza Delivery AU.<br/>It comes from dannysgreenpants. Nice job, this is an awesome idea. Props to you. </p><p>Victoria didn't expect the Pizza Delivery Girl to be so hot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Pizza Delivery Girl

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Я заказывала пиццу, но доставили мне проблему](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10738464) by [LaGrosseLegume](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaGrosseLegume/pseuds/LaGrosseLegume)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria didn't expect the Pizza Delivery Girl to be so hot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, a warm welcome to you all. I saw this idea on Tumblr and loved it. It’s for a Maximum Victory Pizza Delivery AU from dannysgreenpants. Nice job, this is an awesome idea. Props to you. Also thanks to matjojo for volunteering to proof read the chapters. It’s such a big help and I appreciate it so much. Finally, thank you to every single person who reads this story.
> 
> Enjoy

**Chapter One: The Delivery Girl**

**Day 1**

**Victoria’s POV - Victoria's Room - 6:30pm**

I slam the door to my room, huffing as I aggressively kick off my shoes. They land in an untidy heap in the middle of the floor, not that I care much now. I have more pressing matters to attend to.

_What a fucking day._

I pace the length of my room, unable to stop myself from shaking with unadulterated rage.

“Who the fuck does that Rachel Amber bitch think she is?” I angrily question aloud as I flop down on the couch, seething over Rachel’s blatant lack of respect. This wasn’t the first time Rachel had disrespected me, but this time is the final straw. I lean my elbow on the arm of my couch and prop my chin on my hand, sighing in exasperation.

“I don’t get why everyone is so fixated on her. She’s nothing special,” I mumble into my hand irritably, “Mark…Mr Jefferson doesn't give a shit about her. She's trying too hard and it is so pathetic.”

_Everything about Rachel Amber rubs me up the wrong way. She acts like she is so much better than everyone else, but I know that she’s been slutting it up with literally everyone in Arcadia Bay. Maybe it's time to get some photo proof. I bet that would ruin her spotless reputation._

I can’t help but smirk at the thought of her being knocked down a peg or two.

_I need to show that bitch who is Queen around here…me._

I grab one of the well-read magazines from my coffee table and flick through it, however am unable to focus.

_God. I need to arrange a meetup with Taylor and Courtney, stat._

I grab my phone from my pocket and start typing furiously.

**Victoria: Hey whores, need an angry vent session right now! Get your asses over here!**

Almost immediately a high-pitched beep fills the air, signalling I have a message.

**Courtney: Be over in a minute**

**Sweet T: Sure, I'll be right over. Can we order pizza? I haven't eaten yet :)**

I roll my eyes and sigh. Normally I point blank refuse to let people eat in my room, but with Taylor and Courtney I sometimes make an exception. Besides, Taylor would only moan and bitch about how hungry she is if I said no.

_I need to get this out of my system right now and can’t wait for her to eat first._

**Victoria: Whatever, just move it losers**

I shove my phone back in my pocket and tap my fingers impatiently on my leg.

_They had better get here in less than two minutes._

I take the magazine again and mindlessly skim through it while I wait. My mind wanders back to that stupid bitch Rachel Amber, causing my jaw to tighten and a scowl to form on my face. I glance at my phone, seeing no new messages.

_Where the hell are those two?_

As if on cue, there is a loud knock.

“Yes?” I question aggressively.

_If it isn’t Taylor and Courtney, I don’t want to know. I have little patience right now for anyone else._

“It's us,” a familiar voice calls through the door. I get up from the couch and pace over to the door. I throw it open, placing a hand on my hip.

“About fucking time,” I scold, “Well, get in here then.”

I step aside and let them into my room. They make their way over to my bed and perch themselves on the edge.

“I'll just order the pizza,” Taylor says as she takes out her phone and punches in the number.

“You haven't already? Hurry up then,” I sigh. Taylor looks up from her phone and tilts her head curiously, “Do you want anything?”

I frown at her question and give her a reprimanding glare, “Uh, no. Why would I? I don't like pizza, you should know that.”

“Ok, I was just checking. They don't just do pizza, you know,” Taylor protests weakly, holding up her hands in defeat. I wave away her comment dismissively with my hand.

“Like, whatever. Just get it over and done with before I change my mind.”

* * *

**6:58 pm**

“I can't believe it. Rachel is such an attention whore,” Taylor remarks.

I cross my arms and smirk smugly, “Tell me about it. Poor Mark, he must be so embarrassed for her, that's why he is playing along. It's obvious he is uncomfortable with it.”

“You are so right, Victoria. She is such a bitch,” Courtney agrees eagerly.

_Of course Taylor and Courtney are going to agree with me, they always do. Not that I care why they are, because I know I'm right._

I casually brush the fringe of my blonde pixie cut out of my eyes, “We need to show her who is the Alpha bitch here, and it's certainly not her.”

“What did you have in mind?” Taylor asks.

“Well…”

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

Taylor beams and claps her hand excitedly, “That must be the pizza. Thank God, I was about to starve any second. Victoria, can you go answer the door?”

I give her a questioning look, “And why should I do that?”

She smiles charmingly and gives me a puppy dog look, “Please, pretty please.”

I rub my temples and exhale deeply, “You owe me bitch.”

Taylor thanks me, grinning appreciatively as I drag myself off of the bed and walk over to the door.

_She had better make this up to me._

I yank open the door abruptly and stare in disgust at the girl standing before me, “What?”

The girl jumps at my aggressive tone, almost dropping the pizza on the floor. She manages to grab it just in time. She brushes the stray strands of brown hair out of her worried blue eyes and bites her lip nervously.

“Uh…I…I'm here to delivery pizza,” she stutters anxiously.

_Oh great. Why couldn't they have sent someone with some actual style to deliver this?_

I hold out my hand expectantly in her direction. She carefully balances the pizza box on my hand. I place it on my table, then turn back to her, “How much?”

She looks down at the floor timidly due to my stern gaze and clears her throat, “Um…” she mumbles as she fumbles around with the receipt.

I shake my head and scoff, “Oh my god. You don't know. Useless.”

The girl nervously rubs the back of her neck and glances apologetically at me.

“S…sorry. It's my first day.”

I roll my eyes at her pathetic excuses.

“Like I care.”

She swallows hard and blushes from my mockery. I give her a once over while she scans the receipt for the cost.

_She is so flustered. It's kind of cute…NOPE. You did **not** just think that Victoria. A Chase would never find a trashy hipster attractive._

I grimace at my thought as she finally looks up triumphantly at me.

“$14.50.”

_Not her freckles or big blue doe-like eyes that look terrified right now or the way her lips are slightly parted. Definitely not how that uniform looks on her…and how it would look even better on my floor…_

I shake this image violently out of my head.

_Shit Victoria. Get it together. Damn it, am I blushing?_

I look away and nonchalantly hand over $20. The girl blindly searches around for change.

“Shit!” she exclaims as she drops the change, the coins clattering to the floor.

“Just how clumsy can you be?”

Her shoulders hunch over at my harsh tone.

“S…sorry.”

She bends down and fumbles around for the coins. I stare down at her as she tries to gather everything together.

_I quite like this view. Her scrambling around on the floor at my feet. I could get used to it._

She stands up and hands over the money and receipt, her soft hands brush against mine lightly as she does so.

“Here,” she stammers, all but sprinting away as soon as she has handed over the change. I quickly shut the door and take a deep breath.

_Breathe Victoria. Get a grip. You have fucking standards._

Taylor and Courtney glance up at the loud slam.

“What took so long?” Taylor questions curiously. I take the pizza off of the coffee table and bring it over to my bed.

“The delivery person was so fucking clumsy. She dropped all the change on the floor.”

Taylor shakes her head and takes the pizza box from me, “What a loser.”

“Yeah. Such a loser,” Courtney adds as Taylor grabs a slice of pizza and bites into it.

“Mmm…so good,” she sighs, then turns back to me as I sit back down on the bed, “Anyways, back to your evil plan. I have an amazing idea…”

_All thoughts of getting revenge on Rachel have now been replaced with images of her stupid face. The way she looked at me, fearful. Prey that has been cornered by a predator._

I look down at the receipt the girl shoved into my hand just before she ran away.

_Damn it, it doesn't have her name on it, not that I care or anything. I wonder what her name is. What would it feel like for it to pass from my lips? What do her lips feel like? I bet they are soft, like her hands. What would her hands feel like tugging at my hair, her lips parting further…whispering my name? I wonder…_

A hand suddenly waves in front of my face, bringing me out of my thought.

“Hey, Victoria. Are you even listening?”

_Fuck_.

I shake my head and see both Taylor and Courtney looking at me worriedly.

“Huh? Sorry, I was a bit distracted.”

Taylor exchanges a glance with Courtney, then turns back to me, “You don’t say. Everything ok?”

_No. No, it's not ok. I, Victoria Chase, should not be infatuated by her waif hipster bullshit. Stop fantasizing._

“Yes, I'm fine,” I lie as I run my fingers through my short hair. Taylor looks skeptically at me, one eyebrow raised. She has been around me long enough to know when I’m hiding things.

“If you say so,” she shrugs nonchalantly as she takes another pizza slice. I bite the inside of my cheek as I think back to the girl’s stupid face.

_Fuck her. Fuck her and her freckles. Fuck her and her big beautiful doe-like eyes…I wish I could fuck her._

I shake my head vigorously to rid myself of the mental image this thought brings forth.

_Nope. Stop it Victoria. Repeat after me. You do not like that stupid, clumsy hipster._

“I think maybe we should go. You seem really distracted,” Courtney mentions, finally catching my attention. Taylor nods in agreement, “Yeah, you sure you're ok?”

_I know they are just concerned, but I hate being backed into a corner._

“I'm fine. God just stop going on about it,” I snap more aggressively than I mean to. They raise their eyebrows in confusion over my weird behavior, “Ok…”

They get up and give me a questioning look, “We can continue this later then, I guess,” Taylor tentatively says as she takes the pizza box from my bed. I nod, not trusting myself to say anything, and they exit without further discuss. There is no arguing with me when I get like this, something they have both learned the hard way. I can faintly hear them whispering as they walk down the corridor. I flop down on my bed and groan, rubbing my face with my hand.

_There is no way that this trashy hipster is going to take up any more of my time and energy. I definitely won't be ordering from that stupid pizza place ever._

Despite this promise, I still find myself thinking about her.

“What is wrong with me?” I mumble into my hand. I run my fingers though my hair and stare up at the discolored ceiling, letting one of my arms dangle off the edge of the bed. Instead of obsessing over Rachel, now my mind decides to bring up that dorky hipster’s face. My phone vibrates against my leg. I take it out of my pocket and see Taylor has text me.

**Sweet T: We’re here to talk whenever you need us :) (You’d better tell us soon! – Courtney)**

I smile at the text, imagining them both sat on Taylor’s bed fighting for possession of her phone. I place my phone down on the bed beside me and sigh.

_Maybe Taylor might order pizza again…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. Have an awesome day and see you next time.


	2. My Dream Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor and Courtney start to get suspicious of Victoria's strange behaviour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember guys, if you like the concept, drop dannysgreenpants a line on Tumblr. They deserve praise for coming up with this awesome concept.  
> This chapter is mildly NSFW, you have been warned.  
> Enjoy.

**Chapter Two: My Dream Girl**

**Day 7**

**Victoria’s POV - Victoria's Room – 6:59 pm**

I sprawl out on my bed lethargically while Taylor and Courtney sit on my couch. They keep whispering to one another and glancing over at me every once in a while.

_They aren’t being subtle at all, I can tell they are talking about me. It’s not like I blame them._

I narrow my eyes at them.

_What are they conspiring about? I've had enough of this._

“Alright, what's going on?” I ask suspiciously as I sit up to get a better look at them.

They smile at me innocently, “Nothing.”

I raise an eyebrow skeptically at them, “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

They both go quiet. After a few meaningful looks and non-verbal gestures, they both seem to agree on something. Taylor clears her throat and tentatively asks, “Victoria, are you ok?”

This question takes me by surprise, my eyes widening a bit at the question. I try to keep my expression stoic, however I can’t help the fact that my heart is racing in my chest.

“Why wouldn't I be?” I question, trying to sound confident and assured with limited success.

They look at each other again, then Courtney speaks hesitantly, “Well…we seem to have had a lot of these pizza met ups recently. It seems a bit…strange. I thought you didn't like p...”

“SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH RIGHT NOW COURTNEY! I AM VICTORIA FUCKING CHASE! I CAN DO WHAT I LIKE, WITHOUT HAVING TO BE QUESTIONED!” I interrupt quickly, causing them to exchange confused glances.

After a moments silence Courtney shrugs, “Sure, I guess…sorry.”

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

The sound of knocking eases the tense atmosphere.

“I'll get it,” I say as I jump up from the bed.

Taylor raises an eyebrow, looking perplexed, “Uh…ok.”

I have to physically stop myself from running to the door. I can feel the beginnings of a smile forming on my face as I get ever closer. Before I open the door I compose myself, putting on a disinterested expression, one that doesn’t mirror how I’m feeling inside. I pull on the handle and the door opens to reveal the girl from last week. When she sees me, she hangs her head in preparation for the barrage of insults. It’s enough for me to soften my tone and snide remarks.

“Oh, it's you again. Can't they send me someone competent?” I sigh, my voice wavering a bit.

She rubs the back of her neck, looking apologetic, “I…I don't really get the choice where I go. S…sorry.”

After seeing how resigned she looks, I can’t bring myself to make any of the taunting comments, instead I just lean against the door frame with my arms crossed.

“Whatever,” I mutter, biting my tongue to prevent any snide remarks from escaping me.

The girl seems shocked by the lack of insults, her eyebrows shooting up for a moment. Her shoulders become less hunched over and she stands straighter as she hands me the box. I take it from her without saying another word, managing to sneak a glance at her out of the corner of my eye. Every time I order, which has been pretty much every day since the first time last week, I try to count the freckles on her face. There always seem to be more.

_I wonder where else she has them…_

“Uh…”

The soft questioning sound brings me back to my senses. When my eyes focus back on reality, I am met by her puzzled expression. Her blue eyes stare intently at me, filled with confusion and her cheeks are very slightly pink.

_Shit. She caught me staring._

She clears her throat and mumbles, “S…so that's $16.”

I scoff, trying to hide the blush I can feel forming on my cheeks with my hand, “At least you're learning,” I comment as I hand over $20.

She nervously reaches into her change purse. I can see the fear in her eyes as she digs around, then she holds out her hand looking proud that she hasn't dropped it this time. I reach out, grab a hold of the change and slowly move my hand along hers, brushing it lightly yet firm enough for her to feel it. The contact makes her blush deepen, her eyes locking onto mine for a brief second.

“Um…”

I take my hand away and ask in a husky tone, “What are you still standing there for?”

The girl rubs the back of her neck awkwardly then nods.

“R…right,” she stutters as she walks away, glancing behind her every so often with a perplexed expression.

_Confusion makes her look even more appealing. How I would love to see the confusion in her eyes and the blush on her cheeks if I suddenly pinned her against the wall and took her, right then and there…_

“Are you coming inside or are you just going to stand there? The pizza is getting cold,” Taylor calls from inside my room. I shake my head, taking a deep breath and close the door, not before taking one last look as the girl leaves the dorm building.

“God, stop getting on my case,” I angrily grumble. I sit back down on my bed and place the pizza box in Taylor’s lap. Both she and Courtney give me a suspicious look, Taylor raising her eyebrows at me and Courtney crossing her arms.

_Oh god, here we go. Interrogation time._

“Ok, you've been acting so strange over the past week,” Taylor states confidently, her intense gaze unwavering.

_Damn it. They've blocked my escape. If push comes to shove…_

I steel myself, trying to come across as assured as possible, “Don't…don’t be ridiculous.”

“She's not,” Courtney pitches in swiftly. I glare at her in response, which causes her to falter and recoil.

_No-one can stare down a Chase. No-one would even dare._

“Look, you've been insisting we have these pizza sessions every day for the past week,” Taylor continues, unwilling to drop this.

I cross my arms and look away, my jaw jutting out, “So?”

Courtney seems to have gained the courage to speak again. She looks a bit scared, her voice wavering as she says, “So, you don't usually do that.”

She glances over at Taylor who nods in agreement.

_Shit, that does look a bit suspicious. Come on. Think of an excuse…got it._

I casually stroke my chin, refusing to meet their eyes in case I give something away, “Maybe I just wanted to spend more time with you guys.”

Taylor appears unimpressed and unconvinced. She shakes her head and sighs deeply, “And maybe that is bullshit. Seriously, what's up?”

“We're really worried about you,” Courtney adds hesitantly, “you’ve been walking around in a weird trance like state all week, as well as just acting strange in general.”

I search my brain to try and think of an excuse, but give up.

_It looks like I have little choice._

I sigh and look at them earnestly.

“Look, I'm fine, ok. I…I can't tell you what's going on yet. It's not bad though.”

“Thank god,” Taylor exhales, brushing her long blonde fringe off of her face.

_Now I feel really stupid for making them worry. I’m not used to people really caring about me._

“Were you really worried?” I ask uncertainly.

“Yeah, we really were,” Courtney asserts.

I rub the back of my neck and mumble, “Sorry.”

Taylor waves away my apology with her hand and smiles, “No need to apologize, as long as we know you're ok.”

“I'll tell you guys more later, I promise. It’s kind of embarrassing,” I sigh.

Taylor finishes off her slice, licking her fingers and then grins, “You’d better.”

Courtney beams as well, “Or we’ll force it out of you. We can be pretty scary as a team.”

We all burst out laughing, the once tense atmosphere dissipating within seconds.

“Besides, I don’t think you can get any more embarrassing than Courtney’s little escapade last month,” Taylor quips, to which Courtney responds by shoving her.

“Hey, I thought we promised we wouldn’t talk about that anymore,” she whispers shyly.

“Maybe Vic did, but I sure as hell didn’t,” Taylor grins. She glances down at her phone, then back up at me, “Anyway, we'd better get going. It's getting late.”

She grabs Courtney by the wrist and pulls her towards the door, “Remember, we’ll hunt you down and drag it out of you if you hide from us.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” I whisper as they walk down the corridor.

* * *

**Day 8**

**1:00 am**

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

I groan and lift my head from my pillow, my bleary eyes slowly becoming accustomed to the darkness. Thin slivers of moonlight seep through the blinds covering my window, casting line on the floor. I can see the vague outlines of the three full length pictures of myself on the wall. I glance over to my door, rubbing at my tired eyes.

“Mmmm…who is that?”

I roll over and fumble around for my phone, nearly knocking over everything else sat on the small bedside table. I manage to feel around for it and look at the screen, moaning when I see the time.

_Seriously. Who fucking knocks at 1 am? Maybe I should just ignore them. They'll probably go away._

I lay my head back down on my pillow and close my eyes.

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

_So much for that plan._

“Ok, I'm coming,” I sigh, “Wait a fucking minute.”

I slowly get out of bed, wincing as the cold air hits my exposed skin. I sleepily stumble over to the door and yank it open.

“What do…?” I begin to say, but freeze when I see who is stood there in the corridor.

_What the…?_

I stare on in silence as a girl with mid-length brown hair and piercing blue eyes smiles sheepishly at me. I nearly didn’t recognize her without the uniform. It’s the pizza delivery girl.

_How the hell did she get in here?_

I can’t believe my eyes. I finally compose myself and manage to choke out, “What are you doing here?”

She looks relieved when she sees me, “Oh good, I got the right door. I was worried there for a minute that I…”

I squint at her, subtly implying that she is rambling too much.

She nervously rubs the back of her neck, “Uh…right, sorry,” she apologizes, “I'll get to the point.”

She suddenly takes a keen interest in her shoes, “I…I have something I want t…to talk to you about,” she stammers.

I raise an eyebrow and look at her in amusement, “At 1 am in the morning?”

Her eyes widen in surprise as I say this and she immediately glances down at her watch, “Oh shit sorry. I…I didn't realize. I just got off my shift and I…I'd better just go.”

She turns to leave, but I grab her arm tight and pull her into my room. If this wasn’t already shocking enough to her, I pin her against the wall and lean in close.

“I don’t think so,” I whisper, causing her to blush profusely and lick her lips. I smirk at her embarrassment.

_This is so much better than any situation I could have imagined in my head and I've thought up a few._

Her lips are parted further than usual as I press my body into hers, noticing that I have at least a few inches on her. She swallows hard and looks away shyly. I take her chin and tilt her head to make her look me directly in the eye. I see the uncertainty again, the look that drives me wild. Her chest begins to rise and fall more frequently.

“Ask away,” I purr as I gently run my hand up her arm, causing her to shudder.

She swallows hard, her eyes never leaving mine for a second, “I…I think my question may have already been answered,” she breathes as her body tenses up at my touch.

“Oh…really?” I coax teasingly.

“Yeah,” she utters under her breath, her voice quivering.

I press my body closer to hers, whispering into her ear, “And do you…approve of the answer?”

She bites her lip, a deep blush on her cheeks, “Y…yeah.”

I pull her fiercely towards me and capture her lips the second the words exit her mouth. Her eyes widen in shock, but she doesn't run away, instead standing there in a daze as I kiss her hard.

_She's probably never done anything like this before. Sweet._

After a moment, she tentatively begins to copy my actions. A very slight moan passes from her lips as I pull at her bottom lip and gently press my knee against her thigh. Her entire body trembles under my touch. After a few moments I pull away just as quickly as I had pounced on her.

“So, how did you like your…tip?” I pant lightly.

She takes a deep shuddery breath, her cheeks on fire, “I…I really liked it.”

I smirk playfully at her, tracing my finger along her collar bone, “Well, there is plenty more where that came from.”

I pull her away from the wall and kiss her until she the back of her legs hit my bed. I gently push her down onto it and straddle her. If I thought she was blushing before, that is nothing compared to now. I lean down, inches away from her lips and whisper, “Shall I give you a bigger tip? I think you deserve it for getting here so…punctually.”

The girl looks up at me, her doe-like blue eyes glistening with desire, “I…I’d like that,” she breaths against my skin, the warm air making my body tremble.

I gaze at her with an almost predatory look, my lip quirking upwards into a grin, “Order up.”

I place my lips on her neck, leaving a trail of kisses along it. A slight moan passes from her lips and fills the air as she moves her head back to allow me more access. I gently bite down on the exposed skin, testing the waters. When the girl hums in approval, placing her hands under my shirt and gently raking her short nails down my back, I bite harder. She squirms under me, writhing in pleasure.

_It appears that I have found a sweet spot. I'll have to remember that for later._

I pull away and inspect my handiwork, much to her protest. Several large red marks are beginning to form on her neck. Satisfied, I take the hem of her shirt and begin to tug at it. She takes the hint and lifts her arms above her head, arching her back a bit to help me ease it off her. The extra friction caused by her movement sends a wave of pleasure through my body. She nervously grabs my top and with shaking hands and removes it, throwing it onto the pile of clothes accumulating on my floor. My eyes roam over her porcelain skin, and I smile when I see more freckles lining her stomach, too many to determine the number at a mere glance.

_I shall have to count them thoroughly…but that is a task for later._

I loop my arms around her, undoing her bra strap with ease and throwing it to the floor. I take a moment to memorize every contour and inconsistency, to emblazon this image in my mind, before placing a kiss on her flushed sternum.

_Let's experiment here._

I kneed her breast lightly with my palms, which elicits a content sigh from her. I place my lips to her newly exposed skin, working my way down her stomach to the waistband of her jeans. I pop the button and grab the zipper with my teeth, undoing it down excruciatingly slowly. I can hear the blood rushing to my ears as I pull down her jeans, exposing blue and white spotty underwear. I look up at her, my eyes sparkling with amusement, “Nice underwear.”

She bites her lip and blushes, “I…I didn’t have time to…,” her words are cut off when I place my lips on the inside of her thigh.

“You won’t be wearing them for long anyway,” I breathe against her skin. My fingers expertly slide under the fabric of her underwear, causing her to tremble. I don’t give her the sweet release she desires straight away. I take my time, mercilessly teasing her with the promise of more.

“D…don't tease.”

She looks down at me through half-lidded eyes, beads of sweat beginning to form on her brow glistening in the dim moonlight. Desperation fills her soft blue eyes, pleading with me to release her from this unbearable limbo. The corners of my mouth turn upwards into a teasing smile.

“Beg.”

She swallows, her voice coming out half-strangled, “P…please…,” my finger goes closer to where she wants it, making her move closer and moan loudly this time. I briefly consider how thin the walls are in the dorm rooms.

_No doubt a few people will hear this, not that I cared. Let them hear._

“I didn’t quite hear you,” I say as I recoil my hand a bit, causing her to whimper, “Please…please f…”

**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.**

The insistent high-pitched tone rings through the air, causing my bleary eyes to open abruptly. I lift my head slowly from my pillow and look around for the source. I reach over and turn off the alarm on my phone, blissful silence once again filling the room.

_Where am I?_

I look around and see my glow-in-the-dark Bluberry figure sitting on my desk, a sure indication that I’m in my dorm room. I turn over to face the wall, curling up in my duvet. My eyes open abruptly.

_Wait. Where is she?_

It only takes a moment for realization to hit me. I groan, placing a hand over my eyes.

_Of course it was a fucking dream. That lame hipster wouldn't have the balls to come over here, let alone do any of that stuff._

I let out a deep sigh and glance at my phone. The time is 7 am. I lay there staring up at the ceiling and try to shake the vivid images of my dream from my mind.

“What is wrong with me?” I whine.

_I have to do something about this. She is driving me crazy._

I look over to my laptop and decisively sit up.

“Right, time for some expert stalking.”

* * *

**8:00 am**

An hour later, I have come up with a name.

_Max Caulfield._

I browse her photos, mostly selfies, pictures of animals and shots of the grungy areas in Arcadia Bay.

_God, she is such a hipster…but her shots aren’t that bad I guess._

I stop on one of a small tawny doe drinking from a pool of water in a forest clearing. The way the sun glistens on the surface of the water and casts the area in an orangey haze makes it look almost magical. As I scroll down, I come across a picture of her with a blue-haired girl. The girl has her arm firmly wrapped around Max’s shoulder and is grinning mischievously.

_Who is that? Is she Max's friend or…? Victoria Chase, are you jealous of this punk skank? You are ten times better than her. Even if she and Max are, whatever, you can beat her._

My eyes widen in sudden recognition as I examine the picture closer.

_Wait…is that Price?_

I’ve seen Chloe Price hanging around campus with Rachel. She used to come to Blackwell before getting kicked out, probably because she was flunking, not that it deterred her from skulking around the girl’s dorm, Rachel’s room in particular.

_She and Rachel are probably banging, it would make sense._

Rachel and Chloe take every opportunity to piss me off. If they’re friends with Max, then this would make everything much more complicated.

“Great…that’s just perfect,” I scoff as I lean back in my chair. I stare at the photo again, more accurately at Max.

_She looks so happy here. I've never seen her smile like that. Maybe I could…_

I stare over at my printer on my desk, then shake my head.

_No, Victoria. That would be weird. Besides, Price is in it as well. You don’t want to waste your ink on her._

I look back at the photo on the screen, my face scrunching up.

“Why is she so fucking hot? It's infuriating,” I grumble as I place my head in my hands.

_Get a grip. You are not going to win her over like this. I need a plan…think._

An idea enters my head.

_Ok, I've got it. This can't fail._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh poor Victoria. She is thirsty AF. In every story I write she ends up doing embarrassing things or is pranked. I feel like I owe some good situations. Maybe soon.


	3. 7:02 pm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max has a not-so-secret admirer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, remember to give dannysgreenpants appreciation for the story idea if you haven’t already on Tumblr. This story wouldn’t have been written without them. Also thanks to ChaChaChelsea for re-blogging this idea from dannysgreenpants, I wouldn’t have seen it otherwise. Thanks to matjojo for proof reading. The chapters are starting to make way more sense thanks to your hard work.  
> Finally, thanks to everyone who has read the story. I hope you keep following the journey as it progresses.  
> Enjoy.

**Chapter Three: 7:02pm**

**Day 10**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria’s Room - 6:33 pm**

_Right, Victoria. You can do this. This plan is flawless._

I reach for my phone, my hand hovering in mid-air just above it. This has been going on for about half an hour, going back and forth, finally working up the courage and then chickening out at the last second. I clench my hand into a fist, then decisively grab the phone and punch in the number. The phone rings and I impatiently drum my manicured fingernails on my desk as the heart-stopping seconds ticking by.

_What is taking them so long? No-one keeps a Chase waiting. Whoever picks up is going to learn that._

My foot begins to tap on the floor as I resist the urge to hang up right then and there. Suddenly, the ringing stops and a shy soft-spoken voice answers, “Hello, how can I h…?”

I jump, throwing my phone on the floor. My heart races and my mind whirs as I try to catch my breath.

“Fuck!” I inhale as I run my fingers through my short blonde hair.

_I didn't expect her to answer, with her stupid, shy, and fucking sexy voice._

I swallow, trying to wet my dry throat and walk over to where my phone hit the floor. I bend down and pick it up, turning it over to inspect for damage. There don’t seem to be any cracks, thankfully. I press a button and the screen lights up.

_Good, it's not broken._

I sigh in relief as I perch myself on the edge of the bed.

_Thinking back, maybe the phone wasn’t the best move. I didn't expect her to answer. She hasn't before so it threw me._

I look over to my desk at my laptop, an idea crossing my mind.

_I should try online. That's a safer bet._

I eagerly move over to sit at my desk and log in to the website. I scroll down and examine the menu.

_I guess it doesn't really matter what I get._

I absentmindedly click on a few items, not really paying attention to what I order. After I’ve selected a few items, I nod.

_That should be enough._

I go down to the bottom to confirm my order, when something catches my eye.

“What is this?” I wonder aloud. At the bottom of the page is a blank box titled, **Notes on Delivery.** My heart races as my eyes roam over the box.

_I can get Max to deliver it all the time. This is fucking awesome. Thank you to whoever created this._

I can feel a wide smile slowly form on my face, my body shaking with excitement.

_I'm so glad no-one is here to see me. I must look like a total loser._

I go to type but freeze, my hands hovering over the keyboard.

“Shit, what do I write?”

I close my eyes deep in thought and tap my finger against my cheek. After a few minutes, I begin to type.

**Delivery Note: I want Max to d**

I abruptly stop typing, worry gripping my heart and my eyes widening at my stupidity.

_Wait. I'm not even supposed to know her name. She hasn't told me. It would look weird if I put her name. She'll know I've been stalking her. She'd think I was weird and then she wouldn't come anymore and then…_

My hands tremble over the letters for a few seconds.

“ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I cry out as I type aggressively at the keyboard and hit complete without looking over what I had just written.

**Order Complete**

* * *

**Max's POV** **\- Two Whales Pizzeria – 6:40 pm**

“Order up,” a voice from the kitchen in the back shouts. I stand behind the counter, waiting for the next delivery to come through. Business has been really slow today, making it drag on more than usual. I glance down at my watch to check the time.

_Only about two more hours, Max. Then you can go home._

“Yo, Max,” a cheerful voice speaks from behind me as I feel a hand on my shoulder, bringing me out of my thoughts. I jump a bit and turn around to see who it is. A girl with auburn hair and blue eyes grins back at me.

“Hey, Dana.”

She beams back at me in response, her eyes sparkling in the light seeping through the smudged pizzeria windows. Dana has similar shifts to me at the two Whales, I almost always see her when I’m working.

_She’s really friendly and we get on pretty well, which is surprising. She seems like an archetypal Cheerleader, aka the kind of person who usually wants nothing to do with someone like me…well one of the kinds of people anyway._

Something shifts in Dana’s eyes, a glint of mischief entering them. She places her hand on the counter and leans in whispering, “I think you have a secret admirer.”

I give her a puzzled look and shake my head dismissively, “No way. W…why do you think that?”

_I must admit, I'm curious._

She smirks at me, her eyes filled with a teasing amusement.

“That would be telling,” she grins.

I lightly push her shoulder, “Oh knock it off, Dana. I want to know.”

She strokes her chin for a moment, contemplating whether to tell me, then smiles.

“Ok, I can't resist that pouty face of yours,” she concedes as she conjures a slip of paper from her pocket and waves it in front of my face, “here’s your proof,” she triumphantly declares. I grab the piece of paper and unfold it. My eyes briefly scan over it, seeing that it’s an order form.

“I don't get it,” I shrug and go to pass the paper back to her. She gives me a disbelieving look and shakes her head, “Girl, you are so dense. Look again.”

She pushes the paper back at me. She isn’t going to let this go, so I re-inspect the order form. I see the list of items the person ordered, along with the other standard information, but can’t see anything out of the ordinary.

_What is she getting at?_

“I still don't get it,” I say, scratching my head. Dana sighs, turns the form over and points to the delivery note. I hold the paper and begin to read.

**Delivery Note: I WANT THE STUPID, CLUMSY ONE WITH BEAUTIFUL BLUE DOE-LIKE EYES AND DUMB FUCKING ADORABLE FRECKLES TO BRING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

“I’d say that’s a pretty accurate description of you, don’t you think,” Dana chuckles as my eyes widen in shock. I blink a few times, wondering if I had read that right. I turn to Dana with a questioning look, to which she only raises her eyebrows suggestively.

_This…this can’t be serious. Someone is messing with me._

“I…I'm sure this is just a joke,” I stutter as I place the order form on the counter.

“Sure it is,” Dana smirks smugly, “You keep telling yourself that. I suppose you’ll find out soon.”

“Wait…what?” I question.

Dana points to the form, “You’ll be delivering it of course. Someone asked for you specifically to order it, so we have to honor that request whether it’s a joke or not.”

My face crumples up at the thought of having to face whoever wrote this.

_This is going to be so embarrassing._

I reluctantly take the order form from the side, my shoulders hunching over as I drag my feet to the back room to collect the order.

“You’d better tell me how it goes when I next see you otherwise I’ll drag it out of you,” Dana calls cheerfully after me.

* * *

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 7:02 pm**

I check my phone, seeing two recently read messages from Taylor and Courtney, along with a new one from Nathan.

**Courtney: We’ll have to arrange a meet up soon. It’s been a while :)**

**Sweet T: Totally, plus we still have to drag that secret out of you ;)**

I smile and shake my head.

_They sure are persistent. It’s nice to know they care at least._

**Nathan: need to talk about VC party soon, txt when ur free**

I had almost forgotten about the upcoming Vortex Club party with everything else going on, namely the whole Max drama. Nathan is usually in charge with organizing the party, but he always struggles so I lend him a hand. He’s always been ridiculously disorganized and forgetful, nothing has changed.

_What would he do without me there?_

Once I finish reading Nathan text, I glance at the time, 7:02 pm.

“Where the fuck is she? She's late,” I sigh in exasperation.

Almost every night since last week I have ordered pizza to get here for 7 pm. Each time, Max has come to deliver it and has always come on time without fail…but not tonight. I look at my phone again and glance over to the door.

_She's not usually late. Is she going to come? Did I scare her off with that stupid fucking message? I should never have…_

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

At the familiar hesitant knock, I race to the door almost tripping up over my shoes in my hurry. I curse under my breath and kick them to one side before coming to a standstill in front of the door. I straighten out my clothes and quickly fix my hair, taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart. I’m not sure if its beating so fast because of my near fall or in anticipation for seeing Max again.

_You can do this. Just ask her to hang out, it's not that hard. You are way better than that punk skank, you are a Chase._

After the brief mental pep-talk, I casually open the door and lean against the door frame. Max is stood there, looking down at her shoes with the box in her hands. When the door creaks open, she snaps her head upwards to face me. I swallow and exhale.

_Act cool and casual._

“About fucking time,” I scoff, unable to stop myself from mocking her. I mentally kick myself.

_What the hell am I doing?! If I keep acting like this, there is no way she’ll want to hang out with me._

When I focus back on reality, I can see Max taking a sudden interest in her shoes. Her brown hair is covering her eyes, but I swear I can see her cheeks redden under my gaze.

_Is it my imagination, or is she blushing?_

She glances up at me through her fringe and rubs the back of her neck nervously, offering me a sheepish smile.

“S…sorry.”

I roll my eyes at her and sneer in mild disgust, “I don't need your apologies. Just give me my food.”

_Smooth, Victoria. This is going well._

“Ah…y…yeah, here,” she stammers as she holds the pizza box in my direction. I casually grab it, making sure to keep contact with her hand for as long as possible without raising suspicion.

“Th…that's $10,” she nervously mumbles as she bites her lip. I hand over $30 and she begins to search around for the correct change. She takes it out and goes to hand it over to me, “Here you g…”

“Keep it,” I impulsively interrupt, adopting an imposing stance and crossing my arms over my chest. Her eyes almost pop out of her head when she hears this.

“W…what?” she stutters as her eyebrows shoot up to her hairline as she looks at me incredulously.

“I said keep it. God, are you deaf as well as stupid?” I snap at her more aggressively than I had anticipated. She recoils a bit at the harshness of my tone, but doesn’t run away like before.

“B…but its $20 over. I'd feel bad…”

She continues to ramble on, but I don’t really pay much attention to what she is saying.

_Can she get any cuter? Her stupid, nonsensical ramblings are so fucking adorable. How I long to see what she would do if I just pushed her onto my couch and pinned her hands. What would she say then? Would she ramble? Would she look at me with that same fear from before? Would she moan and unwind at my touch? Would she scream out my name?_

I cut off this line of thought before I get too involved to the point of no return.

_Keep on track, Victoria. Daydream later. That was too nice of me. She'll suspect something. Fuck! Think, think…_

“God, I said just keep it,” I sigh, rubbing my temples.

“But…” she begins to protest.

My jaw tightens and a scowl forms on my face as I retort, “You look like you definitely need it.”

_NO! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! VICTORIA CHASE YOU FUCKING IDIOT!_

“Uh, ok I guess. Thanks,” she concedes, looking at me with an expression of pure bewilderment.

_Why does she keep doing this to me?_

After a tense few moments, Max clears her throat awkwardly then motions back to the corridor, “Uh…I should p…probably be going.”

“About time,” I mutter.

Max slowly turns away, giving me a worried look, “Yeah…”

As she leaves, I shut the door and lean my back against it, slumping down to the floor and placing my head in my hands.

“That went well,” I mumble into my hands

_So much for a fool proof plan. Why can't I just talk to her like a human being? I hate feeling this way. She has so much power over me and she doesn't even know it. Look at me…look at what she has reduced me to. I need to take drastic action, now._

I lean my head back against the door and try to figure out a new plan.

* * *

**Max's POV** **\- 2 Whales Pizzeria – 7:25 pm**

I stand at the counter in a daze, going over what happened in my mind. That girl had acted even weirder than usual this time and I couldn’t work out why. I rub my temples and sigh.

_What is even going on anymore?_

Suddenly, a hand waves in front of my face, breaking my from my trance-like state, “Max…Earth to Max, you in there? Helloooooooooooo.”

Dana stands there, looking at me with a slight frown on her face.

“Sorry, I was spacing out,” I smile shyly at her.

“I can see that,” Dana comments with wry amusement, “What are you thinking about?”

I look out of the window and exhale deeply, trying to put the strange events out of my head with limited success, “It…it's nothing.”

Dana stands in front of me, her arms crossed with a 'no nonsense' expression on her face, “That didn't look like nothing to me. Don't lie to me, girl.”

I hunch my shoulder and refuse to look at her, “I…I'm not.”

She sighs in exasperation at my blatant lie, “You so are. I can tell. You are so easy to read,” she nudges me coaxingly and whines, “Come on, spill the beans.”

_I guess there is no way out of this one. She's going to be insufferable if I don't tell her. Besides, maybe she can help._

“Fine,” I sigh as Dana looks at me expectantly. I lean against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest, “You…you know that order I delivered.”

Dana tilts her head curiously, “The one with the weird note?”

I nod in acknowledgement, “Yeah, that one.”

Dana places her hands behind her back and smiles, “I'm all ears, Max. Give me the gossip.”

_She gets so excited about stuff like this. It’s kind of cute really._

“Well, the person who ordered it is really…confusing.”

_That’s one way of putting it anyway._

“How so?” Dana asks curiously, tucking a stray strand of auburn hair behind her ear.

_This is so embarrassing. What if I'm just making a big deal out of nothing? I guess it's better to find out now._

“How do I put this?” I pause as I try to figure out how to put this, “She keeps insulting me, but also staring at my face and touching my hand for really long periods of time. I…it’s kind of awkward,” I say as I rub the back of my neck.

Dana strokes her chin, contemplating what I just told her, “That **is** strange.”

I sigh in relief from knowing that it’s not just me who thinks this, “Yeah. I don't get it.”

Dana gives me a smug grin, placing her elbow on the counter and propping her chin on her hand, “Isn't it obvious?”

I frown in confusion at her.

_What is she talking about?_

“What do you mean?” I question.

Dana shakes her head in disbelief and sighs, “You are so dense, Max. It really is astounding,” as she stands up straight and makes her way back to the kitchen.

“Huh?”

She looks over her shoulder and offers me a small smile, “I'll let you work it out on your own. Just don't take too long. A certain someone may not be able to deal with your denseness forever,” her voice carries over into the room as she disappears.

“Wait,” I call out, “Work what out on my own?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victoria thinks she’s being subtle, but she’s not. Max is so dense. Come on Max, get your shit together.  
> Have a great day and see you soon.


	4. Three Minutes Earlier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria has a cunning plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hope you’re all going well today. I shall answer guest reviews at the end of the chapters as and when I get them.  
> Enjoy

**Chapter Four: Three Minutes Earlier**

**Day 12**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 7:00 pm**

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

The sudden knocking causes me to jump slightly and stare at the now ominous looking door. I clear my throat and mentally prepare myself for what awaits me on the other side.

_Time to put this plan into action._

I stride over to the door and place my hand on the handle, swallowing hard as I stare at my quivering hand.

_It's all going to work out fine. You'll be fine. You’re a Chase after all._

I yank open the door excitedly to reveal her standing there holding a couple of pizza boxes. Her head jerks up to face me, her bright blue eyes uncertain as she bites her lip, worrying it between her teeth. I take a moment to stare at her.

_Oh god. Why does she have to be so fucking hot? Damn her. It's not fair._

“Hello?” Max questions hesitantly, waiting for me to react in some way other than awkwardly staring.

_Shit. I've been staring at her for too long._

I look away from her, scratching my cheek so as to hide my embarrassment and sneer, “What do you want?”

Max shrugs, her face impassive as she holds out the boxes, “Nothing. Here's your food,” she mumbles as I take the pizza from her, placing in on the coffee table near my door, “That'll be $15.”

I pass over the exact change this time and place it in her outstretched hand, the atmosphere seeming tenser than usual. She thanks me and turns to leave.

_What are you doing, Victoria? Say something. Anything._

I reach out my hand and grab her wrist to stop her.

“Wait…”

Max spins her head around, looking down at her wrist and then to me, her brow raising questioningly. I quickly let go of her wrist and begin to play with a stray strand of my short blonde fringe and sigh, “Look, my friend kind of bailed on me. I ordered enough pizza for two,” I pause to gauge Max’s reaction. She stands there patiently, waiting for me to continue. I take this as a good sign and press on, “Do…do you want to maybe stay and watch a movie and have pizza with me?”

* * *

**Taylor's POV** **\- Dorm Corridor - 6:57 pm**

I walk up the stairs of the Prescott Dormitory to the girl’s dorms, glancing at my phone as I do so. I tried to talk to Victoria after class, but she just shot off without a word. As I stare at the screen I see a new message from Courtney.

**Courtney: T, have you seen Victoria today?**

**Taylor: Yes, but not to talk to**

**Courtney: It’s weird, I’ve been trying to get through to her ever since I got in, but she hasn’t been picking up**

I had received no word from Victoria either, despite having sent numerous texts and having tried to call her twice. She usually replies instantly to any messages. She never went anywhere without her phone, ever.

_It’s not like her to ignore texts or calls. I hope she’s ok._

**Taylor: Yeah, it’s weird. I hope she tells us what’s up soon**

**Courtney: Me too. Maybe it’s a crush or something?**

I stop mid-step, pondering this possibility for a moment.

_Come to think of it, there’s only been one other time I have seen Victoria like this. It was exactly the same. She was really irritable, kept sighing forlornly and went MIA for hours. That was a crush problem then, so maybe it is too._

**Taylor: That is very possible, remember last time?**

**Courtney: Oh yes, that girl from the coffee shop in Seattle**

**Taylor: That’s the one, even though she tried to deny it for like a week**

_Nothing ever came of it, despite Courtney and I doing our best to encourage her to act. Victoria is surprisingly shy and clueless when it comes to love._

I smile fondly at the memory, hoping that we will be able to help her out this time.

**Courtney: Maybe we should meet up later to work out a plan of action**

**Taylor: Sounds good. Come to my room in about an hour**

**Courtney: I’ll be there :)**

I shove my phone in my pocket as I finally reach the top of the stairs and make my way into the girl’s dorm through the double doors. The corridor is empty, everyone holed up in their respective rooms. Dana’s door is slightly ajar, upbeat music seeping through the crack. I can also hear Juliet’s voice coming from the room as well.

_I rarely see one without the other, kind of like with Courtney and I._

I pause outside my room and stare down the corridor to Room 221, Victoria’s dorm room. In a decisive moment, I stride down the corridor to check up on Victoria. When I get closer, I can hear the faint sound of a violin coming from Kate’s room next-door. I pause for a second to listen, but it is drowned out by Dana’s music. I stand in front of Victoria’s door and knock. I hear footsteps on the other side rush hurriedly to the door and it flies open. When Victoria sees me, she frowns.

“Taylor?” she questions in a confused tone.

_Is she expecting someone?_

I beam at her innocently, “Hi Victoria, can I come in?”

She glances down at her phone, looking hesitant and conflicted. Eventually she sighs, “Sure,” and reluctantly steps aside to let me in.

The first thing I notice is that her room seems tidier than usual. While Victoria isn’t messy, there are usually a few pieces of clothing or a pile of magazines spread out on the floor. Now, everything seems especially spotless. Victoria flops down on her bed and I join her. Her eyes dart around the room and her fingers drum on her leg nervously.

“What's going on with you? You look really nervous,” I observe as I join her on the bed.

“N…nothing. I'm absolutely fine,” she says too quickly for me to believe.

_God, what is with her? She looks like she's seen a ghost. I need to get to the bottom of this. Victoria has done a lot for me and I want to help her if I can._

“Look, Victoria…” I begin but am interrupted by a soft knocking at her door.

“I’ll get it, pay you back for the time you answered the door for me,” I grin at her as I get up, but am stopped when she grabs my wrist and pulls me back.

“NO!”

I turn to her with a puzzled expression, “No? Why not?”

She looks around frantically, her expression growing more desperate by the second.

_What is with her? She is really worrying me._

Just when I’m about to ask her what the hell is going on, she points to her closet and orders, “Get in there.”

“What? Victoria, you aren’t making any s…” my words are cut off when she starts to shove me towards her closet.

“NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! JUST DO IT!” she shouts as she continues to push me.

“Victoria, I…”

She yanks the door open and shoves me in, “NO TIME!”

“Ouch.”

She peers in and whispers menacingly, “Don't say a fucking word.”

“I don't under…” I begin to stutter, but am silenced by Victoria’s threatening glare, “NOT. A. FUCKING. WORD,” with that she slams the door shut.

I sit there dazed, trying to make sense of this whole bizarre situation I’ve found myself in.

_What has gotten into her? I guess all I can do is wait and see how this plays out._

* * *

**Max's POV** **\- Victoria's Room - 7:01 pm**

The blonde girl in front of me takes a deep breath and hesitantly says, “Look, my friend kind of bailed on me. I ordered enough pizza for two. Do…do you want to maybe stay and watch a movie and have pizza with me?”

My eyebrows raise in surprise and my mind whirs to try and process this sudden turn of events.

_Whoa. What is going on here? I am so confused. First this girl insults me, then she keeps acting really weird and staring at me, now she wants to eat pizza with me. What the fuck?_

My brow furrows as I chew my lip.

_I don't know why she would want to spend time with me though. I don't seem like the type of person she would usually hang around with. What does this mean? What's she going to do to me? I'll be with her alone. This seems like the plot to the cheesy romance movies. Is this one of those moments?_

I shake my head at the absurdity of this notion, blushing slightly for even considering it.

_Oh dog, Max. Stop getting so flustered. This isn’t a cheesy rom-com, so there is no way she likes you. But what if…?_

I glance back up at the girl, who stares at me expectantly with her arms folded protectively across her chest. She looks really vulnerable right now.

_You're taking too long, Max. Answer._

“Yes,” I squeak out, only making the blush on my cheeks intensify.

_Nice job, Max._

I mentally kick myself for sounding so pathetic, but the girl beams at me, “Great, come on in,” she steps aside to let me in.

_What are you doing, Max? Entering a stranger's room is a real good idea. This just turned from a romance movie to one of those true crime shows. Am I going to end up buried in the ground, never to be heard of again?_

I tentatively step over the threshold and am stunned by the sight that meets me.

 _Wowser_.

The room is fairly small, but well-decorated. Fairy lights, posters and photos are dotted tastefully on the otherwise bare white walls. I look to my right and see a couch, some really expensive looking digital cameras sitting on it.

_I'm kind of jealous. I do dig my instant camera though. Still I wouldn't say no. Whatever you do Max, don't sit on them._

My eyes continue to scan the room. The full scale photos of her on the wall near her bed catch my eye.

_I know I wouldn't be confident enough to do that. I can barely get my stupid selfies out there, let alone display them. They are pretty sweet shots._

On her desk, I see a flyer. I think it says something like Vortex Club on it, but it’s hard to see from this far away.

_I don’t want to just go snooping around her room…well I do want to, but she’d probably kill me if I started nosing through her stuff._

“You can sit you know,” she casually comments, bringing me back to reality and making me jump. She points to her bed, signalling for me to sit.

_Shit. I wonder how long I've been standing here just staring. Just don't freak out, Max. Sure, something like this has never happened before, but I'm sure it'll be ok…right?_

“R…right,” I manage to mumble as I take a seat.

_Breathe Max. Everything is fine…for now._

The girl sits beside me and hands me the pizza box. I thank her and grab a slice of pizza. She takes the box back and places it on her bedside table.

“Aren't you going to have any?” I cautiously ask before I take a small bite from the slice. As I chew, she shakes her head, absentmindedly expecting her nails, “No, I don't like pizza.”

_Huh?_

Her eyes widen as soon as the words leave her mouth. She quickly retracts her statement, “I mean, I do, I just…don't want any at the minute, yeah, that's it,” she mutters.

_That was strange. I'm really freaking out now. Maybe I should text Chloe and tell her to bail me out. She’s probably in Rachel’s room right now. I guess if I screamed loud enough…_

I awkwardly take another bite from the pizza, feeling the girl’s eyes piercing me. I shuffle uncomfortably, not used to being the centre of attention, “Uh…”

The girl looks at me and smiles, “Yes, Max.”

“I…” I begin to say, but my words get caught in my throat as I go over what she just said.

_Hold up. How does she know my name? That's a bit freaky._

The girl's smile suddenly fade and is replaced with a mortified look. She nervously bites the inside of her cheek and frowns. I clear my throat nervously, “How…how do you know my name?”

She closes her eyes momentarily, then shrug at me, “Lucky guess?”

_Maybe she is a serial killer. Am I her next victim?_

“I…”

She looks around the room, her eyes lighting up in triumph, “I…I saw it on the receipt.”

_She looks so proud of herself. It's kind of endearing._

“I guess that makes sense,” I say as I play with the bands on my wrist anxiously, “What's your name?”

“Victoria,” she answers confidently.

_I wonder if that's her real name, or does she tell all her victims a fake name? Maybe I've been watching too much TV._

She turns to me, a charming smile on her face, “So, what film do you want to watch?”

I shrug, “I'm fine with whatever.”

Victoria stands up and grabs a DVD. My eyes fall on the huge TV sat in the far corner.

_Whoa. That is a tasty plasma. Want._

Victoria walks over to the TV and places the disk in the player, glancing back at me over her shoulder, “I hope you like rom-coms.”

I raise an eyebrow, my lips quirking upwards into a smile, “I didn't take you for a rom-com kind of gal.”

She blushes and shuffles her feet, “Uh…well…um,” she stumbles over her words.

_Oh dog, she looks so embarrassed._

I can’t help but laugh at how uncertain of herself she is being right now. She scowls at me, her cheeks bright red, “What's so funny?”

_I have this strange feeling that I don't want to annoy her. At least, if I care for my own safety._

“N…nothing.”

She goes back to setting up the film.

_Is this girl even real? One minute she is an Alpha bitch and the next she is so shy and awkward. I don't even know what to make of her._

I take this chance to look around a bit more from her bed.

_I am so nosy. It’s going to be my downfall one day._

A sock pokes out of a drawer, stopping the draw from fully closing.

_I bet that sock cost more than my entire wardrobe put together…and then some. It kind of makes me feel a bit out of place._

I look over to my left at the photos carefully arranged on the wall near the door.

_I guess she's into photography. Is that what she's doing here at Blackwell?_

Victoria walks over to her couch, moving the cameras and turns to me. She looks down at the floor, fidgets and clears her throat. It is strange to see her so flustered, at least considering what I had seen of her.

_If only I had my camera…it would have made a nice shot. The vulnerability she is showing right now is just so…_

“You can come sit on the couch i…if you want. Y…you'll be able to see the screen better,” she whispers so quietly that I almost don’t hear her. For a second I think I misheard her, but when I see her looking at me with an almost pleading look and flushed cheeks I am certain I heard her correctly.

_Do I go over?_

She sighs and impatiently taps her foot, “Well, are you coming over or what?!”

_Now we switch back to corny romance film._

I get up from the bed and stumble over to the couch, sitting down. Victoria sits down beside me, her arm rubbing lightly against mine. She is so close I can feel the heat radiating from her. She turns her head towards me and smiles.

_It's such a weird sight. I've only really seen her with a disgusted expression before. This suits her way better. She may look pretty normally, but she is really something else when she smiles._

I feel the ghost of a smile beginning to tug at my lips.

“Um…are you ready?” she asks, pulling me back to the moment. I look away quickly, embarrassed at having been caught staring.

_Shit. Was I staring? I bet I was smiling like a complete dork too. Now who’s the weirdo?_

“Y…yeah,” I mutter as my cheeks began to heat up. I glance back over to her as she fiddles around with the TV remote.

_Max, stop over-analysing things. There is no way in hell that someone like her would like you. You are polar opposites. Stop being such a creep._

She finally manages to get everything sorted and the film begins to play on the TV. As we watch, I feel something warm brush my hand for a brief second. I cast a sideways glance at Victoria, who keeps her eyes fixed on the screen.

_I probably just imagined it._

“You know…” she begins to say, but stops herself. She looks down at her hands and sighs.

“What?” I ask, looking over at her. Neither of us seem to be really paying attention to the film anymore. She appears to be conflicted about something, then shakes her head and mumbles, “Never mind.”

“O…ok,” I stutter as my eyes wander back to the screen.

_This is so awkward. I bet it's because I was staring._

I reach over to grab another slice of pizza from the box on the coffee table. I take a bite of it, automatically regretting it.

“Ah, wowser, it's hot,” I breathe.

“Kind of like you,” Victoria hesitantly remarks. My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline as I stare in disbelief at Victoria, who refuses to meet my gaze.

“W…what?”

I hear stifled laughter coming from her closet. Suddenly, the door burst opens and a girl falls out, cackling maniacally. Victoria looks horrified as she stares at the light blonde haired girl rolling around on the floor.

“Oh my god, Victoria…” she sniggers, hitting the floor with her hand, unable to keep any form of composure.

“Taylor!” Victoria shouts angrily. Taylor finally manages to restrain herself and gets up, still laughing every now and then, “Oh man…that was…I don't even have the words to describe it.”

Victoria stares daggers at Taylor, her expression darkening considerably as she howls, “TAYLOR! YOU ARE SO DONE FOR!”

Fear appears in Taylor's eyes, her smile quickly disappearing. She begins to back up towards the door, her hands held out defensively, “Oh shit,” Taylor exclaims as she makes a mad dash for the door in an attempt to escape Victoria’s wrath.

“COME BACK HERE, BITCH!!! YOU AREN'T GETTING AWAY WITH THIS THAT EASILY!!!!!!!!!!!” Victoria roars as she storms out of the room in pursuit of Taylor, leaving me alone and completely dumbfounded. I can still hear the echoes of their confrontation in the corridor as Taylor makes her escape. I get up and peer round the door to see Taylor half way down the corridor, Victoria hot on her heels.

“I'm sorry Victoria, but that was terrible,” she shouts apologetically over her shoulder as she runs.

“COME HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE, WHORE!!!!” Victoria fumes, her long legs carrying her ever closer to Taylor.

“I'd rather stay alive thanks,” Taylor mentions as she bursts through the double door to the stairwell leading outside. Several confused faces pop out from the doors lining the corridor as Victoria storms after Taylor with murderous intent. She hisses at them as she passes and slams the door shut on her way out, the sound echoing in the silent corridor. Within a few seconds, almost everyone in the dorm has convened at the end corridor, all trying to piece together the spectacle that just occurred.

“What the hell just happened?” a blonde girl I vaguely recognize asks. I remember Dana describing her when we had talked about Blackwell before.

_I think her name is Juliet and she’s the journalist at Blackwell. Of course she’d be eager to find out the gossip._

“So much drama, pathetic,” a girl with dark red-streaked hair comments as she pushes her glasses up her nose.

“You can talk, Brooke,” Juliet offhandedly remarks.

“And what’s **that** supposed to mean?” Brooke questions, her eyes squinting at Juliet’s insinuation.

“Well,” Juliet smirks, “what about all the Warren drama that seems to be revolving around you lately? You literally accuse everyone of trying to get with him.”

Brooke goes to retort when the door to Room 217 opens at the end of the corridor and a girl with dark hair tied into a ponytail wearing a pink hoodie and glasses steps out, an annoyed expression on her tired face, “Guys, I am **trying** to work in here, so can you **please** keep it down.”

As they squabble among themselves, I glance over to Rachel’s door, surprised not to see her and Chloe out here.

_They must be out, otherwise they’d have been the first ones out here to witness this chaos, maybe even making it worse…no make that **definitely** making things worse._

A girl with blonde hair tied in a bun wanders out of Room 221 and glances down the corridor to see the chattering mass of Blackwell residents congregating by the exit, her brow furrowing a bit in confusion at the sight. I’d seen Kate a few times when making deliveries to Blackwell and we got talking in the corridor. She seems really sweet and kind.

Her hazel eyes land on me, “Max, what just happened?” she questions with a very perplexed expression gracing her delicate features.

“I was just asking myself the same thing, Kate,” I answer, rubbing the back of my neck.

She shrugs, offering me a small smile, “There always seems to be some kind of drama going on around here.”

“Yeah, I had realized that,” I sigh.

_I guess I'll take this as my cue to leave._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s all hope that Taylor can evade Victoria long enough to survive.
> 
> Prompt (dannysgreenpants)  
> No but someone needs to write a pizza delivery AU where one night Victoria feels like shit and has her minions over and orders pizza  
> But she didn’t expect the deliverer to be some stupid weird hipster trash  
> And she sure as fuck didn’t expect her to look so fucking cute in her work clothes  
> And the delivery girl is so flustered when Victoria insults her (because she’s totally blushing and doesn’t want this stupid girl with adorable freckles to know) and she fumbles when handing back the change and all but sprints away  
> And now Victoria is like constantly ordering pizza and Courtney is like “You don’t even like pizza”  
> “SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH COURTNEY”  
> With some Facebook stalking she finds out her name is Max Caulfield  
> She’s really cute and it’s pissing her off  
> Now every Friday at 7 on the dot she always orders pizza  
> “Here’s your change-”  
> “Keep it.”  
> “B-But it’s $30 over I’d feel bad-”  
> And Vic is like god damn it her rambles are cute and that was too nice of me fuck  
> “You definitely need it.”  
> nO VICTORIA YOU FUCKING IDIOT  
> She finds out that she can order online in the little notes thing she gets flustered and aggressively types I want the stupid one with beautiful blue eyes and dumb fucking adorable freckles to bring it  
> Then one day she goes “I ordered this pizza for two but my friend bailed on me so do you maybe wanna eat it with me and watch movies or something??”  
> And Max is all blushy and squeaks out a yes because the really pretty rich girl just invited her inside oh my god and they’re alone  
> but it tuRNS OUT VICTORIA FREAKED OUT AND SHOVED TAYLOR IN THE CLOSET BEFORE SHE CAME  
> “JUST GET IN THE CLOSET TAYLOR NO TIME TO EXPLAIN”  
> “But Vic-”  
> “NO TIME”  
> AND VICTORIA KEPT FUCKING UP WITH HER WORDS BECAUSE SHE CANT GET A DAMN GRIP AND IT MADE MAX LAUGH AND BLUSH WHICH JUST MAKES ICKY VICKY MORE FLUSTERED AND ONE PARTICULAR PUN ABOUT HOW “PIZZA IS HOT KINDA LIKE YOU” MAKES TAYLOR FALL OUT OF THE CLOSET FROM LAUGHING SO HARD


	5. 34 Freckles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor makes it her business to help Victoria, but is that going to help matters or make them worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Hope you’re doing well today. Any ideas I get from you guys I shall credit at the end of the chapters, because you deserve recognition for your awesome contributions.  
> Enjoy

**Chapter Five: 34 Freckles**

**Day 12**

**Taylor's POV** **\- Blackwell Grounds – 7:30 pm**

I double over, panting heavily and place my hands on my knees. I gasp for air as I search the area, not seeing Victoria anywhere. I lean against a tree, trying to catch my breath.

_Phew. I think I've lost her._

I wipe my brow, removing the beads of sweat that had begun to form.

_Victoria is so persistent. I really thought she was going to hit me…she may still yet._

I slump down and sit on the grass, resting my back against the tree.

_How am I going to survive the rest of my time at Blackwell?_

A hand on my shoulder causes me to jump and cower, scrunching my eyes up and readying myself to be attacked.

“What are you doing here, Taylor?” a familiar voice asks. I open my eyes and see Courtney looking down at me, her eyebrows pressing together in a small frown, “I heard Victoria leave pretty noisily so I thought I’d come investigate.”

I sigh in relief, “Thank god it’s you, Courtney.”

She holds out her hand and helps pull me up, “Who were you expecting?”

“Well…” I am cut off when my phone buzzes against my leg. I hesitantly take it out of my pocket and look at the screen. It’s Victoria.

_Should I answer? I could ignore her, but she'll probably be more pissed if I don't._

I sigh and turn to Courtney, “Just wait here for a minute while I answer this, I may need protecting.”

She looks puzzled, but nods and leans against the tree. I place the phone to my ear and answer, “Yes?”

 **“TAYLOR, GET YOUR SCRANWY BITCH ASS HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!”** Victoria shouts down the phone, making me move it away from my ear so as to not get deafened. Courtney gives me a questioning look as I recoil, but doesn’t say anything.

_Shit. Victoria really is pissed._

I swallow, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my eyes and reply, “Only if you promise not to kill me.”

There is silence for a moment, then I hear her exhale deeply, **“Fine. Just…just please come talk to me.”**

I am shocked at how vulnerable she sounds right now, completely different from her usual tone that exudes confidence.

“Where are you?” I ask in a soothing tone.

 **“On one of the benches outside the dorm,”** she answers, her voice wavering as she speaks.

My face softens as I reply, “I'll be there in a minute. Hang in there.”

 **“Please hurry,”** she sniffles, sounding as if she is about to cry.

“I will,” I promise as I end the call.

I grab onto Courtney’s wrist without explanation and drag her along as I rush to the dorm building. As I pull her along, the tall trees sway in the wind, sunlight permeating between their leaves. A lot of students are taking advantage of the sun today, including Rachel and Chloe who are sat with the skaters in front of the main entrance into Blackwell. They are messing around on skateboards, showing off and laughing.

_I hope Victoria didn't run into them. She wouldn't be able to handle them now. Please let them stay over there. Someone would probably get hurt if they teased her now._

I continue to drag a confused Courtney towards the dorm building, desperate to get to Victoria’s side right now. I take the time to briefly prep Courtney so she’s ready for the inevitable fallout when we reach Victoria. She listens intently, nodding as I relay the events of earlier. When we reach the Prescott Dormitory, I can see Victoria sat with her back to us on the bench furthest away near a tree. Her shoulders are hunched over and her head in in her hands. My heart drops as we walk up to her. I gently place my hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn towards us with the most defeated expression on her face.

“Hey V…”

She launches herself at me, fiercely hugging me. I glance over to Courtney, who seems shocked to see her like this, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

_What have you gotten yourself into to get you like this?_

I wrap my arms around her as she grips onto my shirt tight, gently stroking her head. Under normal circumstances, she’d probably bite my hand off if I did this, but when she’s upset this usually calms her down. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Rachel and Chloe pushing one another playfully as they make their way back to the dorm. They briefly glance over at us, but don’t say anything and continue on into the building.

_Thank god. At least they have the decency not to kick a girl while she’s down. Maybe they aren’t as bad as Victoria makes out._

We stay like this for a few moments. Courtney manages to find a clean tissue in her bag and passes it to Victoria, who thanks her and wipes her eyes. I help Victoria up, “Come on. Let's get you inside.”

She nods, Courtney standing on her other side and linking their arms as we make our way towards the dorm building.

* * *

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 7:40 pm**

“…I've tried to be subtle, but she just doesn't fucking get it. Fuck her and her stupid cute freckles. How many freckles does one fucking person need to have anyway? Who even needs 34 freckles? Not that I've counted or anything. How can someone be so fucking adorable and hot at the same time? WHY IS SHE SO FUCKING DENSE!!!” I ramble on as Taylor and Courtney sit either side of me on my bed. It feels good to just release all this built up frustration.

Taylor grins at me, “I don't think that pizza pick up line helped.”

I stare daggers at Taylor, who holds up her hands defensively, “Hey, I'm just saying,” she laughs.

“This isn't funny,” I pout as I cross my arms, feigning annoyance. It makes me feel better just being here with both of them.

“It kind of is,” Courtney chuckles.

“Aw, look at you with your pouty face,” Taylor teases, “So cute.”

“I am so going to hit you,” I threaten half-heartedly.

Taylor moves away slightly and beams, “Don't, I bruise easily.”

After a few seconds, I place my head in my hands and sigh, “What am I supposed to do?”

_I’ve messed everything up…I know it. Max won’t want to talk to me anymore after all that._

I feel a hand on my shoulder, pulling me from my thought. I look up and see Taylor staring back earnestly, “First things first, no more cheesy pizza pick-up lines,” she states firmly. Courtney nods in agreement, “I second that motion.”

“I panicked ok,” I adamantly protest, only making Taylor snigger. I glare at her, to which she smiles apologetically in response, “Sorry, I couldn't help it.”

“Are you ever going to let it go?” I mumble as I straighten out my cashmere.

She grins mischievously, “That depends.”

I sigh, “Are you trying to blackmail me?”

Taylor feigns offence, “Perish the thought, my dear. It just might make for an interesting conversation starter.”

“Oh definitely,” Courtney adds. I nudge Taylor, almost making her fall off the bed, but luckily for her Courtney deftly grabs her arm and pulls her back up.

“Quit it,” I say, trying not to laugh at Taylor’s dishevelled appearance from her near fall.

She beams at me, “Seriously though, you need to take some drastic action.”

I throw my hands in the air in exasperation, “You don't think I've tried?”

“Obviously not enough,” Courtney mentions, adjusting the strap of her small black bag on her shoulder.

I cross my arms and mutter, “It's all that trashy cute hipster's fault.”

Taylor sniggers, flicking the spot between my eyebrows, “Now, now. If you frown like that you'll get wrinkles.”

I immediately stop, which makes both Taylor and Courtney giggle. Taylor wipes away a tear from her eye and exhales deeply, then strokes her chin thoughtfully, “Hmm…I think I might have an idea.”

I am taken aback by her words, my head titling curiously at her, “Really?”

She nods assertively and takes her phone out of her pocket. She types in a number and waits, sticking her tongue out at me when our eyes meet. Suddenly she straightens up, “Hi, can I speak to Max please?”

My eyes widen in horror as I grab her arm and try to knock the phone out of her hand. Courtney pulls me back, stopping me from disturbing Taylor.

“What are you doing?” I whisper. Taylor turns to me and shoves the phone at me, “Trying to sort you out.”

I stare blankly at the phone in my hand, “What am I supposed to…?”

“Answer it,” Taylor mouths. I raise the phone to my ear and hear a soft-spoken voice in my ear, “Hello.”

_Shit. Her voice is just…_

“Uh…”

I try to speak, but any words I want to say get stuck in my now dry throat. I swallow hard trying to psyche myself up.

_I am so not ready for this._

“Hello?” she calls out again.

“It's Victoria,” I suddenly blurt out.

_Don't deafen her Victoria. Chill._

“Hey. Are you ok after what happened yesterday? You kind of left in a hurry,” Max’s voice filters out of the phone, making my heart race.

_Was she worried? Why does she have to be so adorable?_

I run my fingers tiredly through my short hair and sigh, “Yeah, sorry about that.”

I hear a laugh from the other end, “No worries. It was weird, but kind of fun.”

I almost drop the phone as she says this, my mind going completely blank.

_She thought it was fun? I didn't expect that. Maybe…_

“We should do it again some time,” I say before I have the chance to stop myself.

_Damn it Victoria, you fucking idiot. Why did you say that? Now you're going to sound like a total creepy stalker. She's not going to want to talk to you ever a…_

“Sure,” she agrees in a cheerful tone, almost making me drop the phone again.

_Did she just…?_

I hear clattering and shuffling from the other end before she talks again, “Look, I need to get going now, but I'll see you soon.”

“Yeah. Bye,” I stutter as I hang up, my brain still trying to process what I just heard.

_Did that just happen? Max just said that she’d like to meet up again…_

As the reality of the situation set in, I feel my lips quirk upwards into a smile.

“So?” Taylor hesitantly question. I launch myself at her, much to her surprise. Courtney chuckles as I squeeze Taylor tight, “Taylor, you are a fucking genius.”

“C…can't breathe,” Taylor struggles to say. I immediately let go of her, clearing my throat, “Sorry.”

Taylor grins at me, “Of course I’m a genius.”

“And modest too,” Courtney snorts. They continue teasing one another while I play the conversation over and over again in my head.

* * *

**Max's POV** **\- 2 Whales Pizzeria – 7:56pm**

I place the phone back down on the counter and stand there.

_What the fuck just happened?_

“Max. What's up? You look serious,” Dana asks, giving me a worried look. I lean on the counter, my head in my hands.

“I am so confused right now,” I mumble. Dana places a hand on my shoulder, causing me to lift my head up.

“Maybe I can help,” she offers. I think this over for a moment, then nod.

_It's worth a shot._

I take a deep breath and begin to relay the events of tonight, “I just ended up having pizza and watching a film with one of the people who ordered and I’m probably going to meet up with them again soon.”

Dana's face lights up at this, “Look at you, Casanova,” she lightly teases as she playfully nudges my shoulder.

I groan, “Oh dog, Dana. Shut up. It's probably nothing.”

Dana scoffs at my dismissive tone, “It doesn't sound like nothing to me.”

_I can’t even comprehend anyone wanting to spend time with me like…that. I don’t even know what’s happening anymore._

I shake my head and sigh, “She probably just wants to fuck with me.”

An impish glint enters Dana’s eyes, it’s the same one Chloe has perfected and always sends a surge of fear through my body. She props her chin on her hand and smirks, “I'd say so.”

“Dana!” I shout as my cheeks redden almost immediately at her insinuation. She roars with laughter at my sudden embarrassment, “Aw, is Max all shy?”

I lick my lips, grab onto my elbow and mutter, “I…I didn't mean like that.”

Dana raises an eyebrow skeptically, her eyes flickering with amusement, “Sure you didn't.”

_This is so awkward. I never did do well under this kind of fire. You’d have thought spending all that time around Rachel and Chloe would have desensitized me from it, but no._

“I meant she would probably take pleasure in making me squirm,” I say, trying to backtrack.

“I bet she would,” Dana winks suggestively and nudges me with her elbow. I shake my head, unable to keep the image of Dana’s suggestion out of my head, which only makes my flush deepen.

“Y…you have no shame. You're almost as bad as Chloe.”

Dana smiles, “Almost? I guess I'll have to work harder then.”

* * *

**Day 13**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 6:59 pm**

I pace up and down my room, unable to keep myself still.

_Get a grip Victoria. You are a Chase. A Chase can't fail._

This thought does nothing to calm my shattered nerves.

“Chill, Victoria,” Taylor says in an attempt to calm me down.

“How can I fucking relax?” I snap, immediately regretting it.

_Taylor doesn’t deserve to be snapped at._

Taylor glances over at Courtney, then gets up and places her hands on my shoulders.

“It'll be fine. Just talk to her for a bit,” she says in a reassuring tone. Courtney adds, “Just imagine she’s one of us when you’re talking to her. That might make it easier.”

I sigh, “Uh, don't you think I've already thought about that?”

Taylor walks over to me, placing her hands on my shoulder and shakes me a bit, “Yes, but have you actually like **talked** to her?”

I open my mouth to protest, then shut it when I realize she has a point.

_Every time I try I get so flustered or I insult her. I've never actually just sat down and talked properly. Last time doesn't really count._

“Maybe…maybe you have a point,” I concede reluctantly.

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

“Well, here is your chance. Remember, be obvious,” Taylor pats my shoulder as she re-joins Courtney on the bed. They give me a thumbs up as I walk over to the door, my heart pounding in my chest.

_This shouldn't be so hard._

I place my hand on the door handle and gently push it down. The door opens, revealing Max standing there with a couple of pizza boxes in her hand as usual. She smiles awkwardly at me when she sees me, “Hey, Victoria.”

_It's now or never._

“Hi, Max.”

_You have to be obvious. She doesn't get subtle hints. Think of something good to say._

She hands the boxes to me, “So, here's your pizza.”

“Thanks,” I say as I take them from her and place them on the coffee table.

“That's $18,” she recites without having to look at the receipt. I hand over the money to her.

“Enjoy,” she smiles and turns to leave. I glance back to the bed, Taylor and Courtney stare at me in disbelief with a look that begs me to do something. The next few seconds seem to almost go in slow motion as Max begins to make her way down the corridor.

_No, this is not how it is supposed to go. God damn it, Victoria. Just talk to her. Just do something…anything._

“Wait,” I call out to her, making her turn back and stand in front of me.

“Yes?”

Now she’s here, I can’t think of anything to say, my brain searching for something coherent only to draw a blank.

“You…you forgot your tip,” I blurt out. Her eyebrows furrow, a small crease forming between them. Her lips parts further, exposing her off-white teeth more than usual. Her blue doe-like eyes focus on me with an intensity that cause shivers to run down my spine.

“What do you mean my…”

Her words are cut off when I press my lips firmly against hers. Her eyes open wide, but she doesn’t pull away.

_That face drives me wild. I swear she does it to tease me. If only Taylor and Courtney weren’t here I could…_

My brain finally catches up with my body and an icy chill fills my body, my eyes opening abruptly and meeting hers.

_Wait, wait, WAIT! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING VICTORIA YOU STUPID BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

I pull away as quickly as I had leaned in. Max is blushing like crazy and places a hand to her lips.

_FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

She goes to say something, but I don't let her. I slam the door before she gets the chance, rubbing my face with my hand.

_WHY DID I DO THAT? I'M A FUCKING IDIOT! SHE IS GOING TO THINK I'M A TOTAL CREEP NOW!_

I glance over at Taylor and Courtney. They look completely astounded by my impulsive move. We stare at each other in silence for what seems like an eternity.

“When we said be obvious, I…I wasn't quite expecting that,” Courtney says in a half strangled tone, utterly stunned.

“I think we can safely say that she knows how you feel now. Way to go Victoria,” Taylor quips.

“Fuck you Taylor,” I growl aggressively.

Taylor smirks, “I thought it was Max you wanted to fuck.”

“SHUT UP!!!”

* * *

**Max's POV** **\- Dorm Corridor – 7:03 pm**

“Wowser.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victoria, you really need to sort yourself out. 
> 
> Thanks to Lyswenn for suggesting Taylor force Victoria to talk to Max on the phone. Good call.  
> “Like, she would ask Victoria about it, and Victoria would rant about Max (and how cute her freckles are or something) and Taylor would tease her about it so much. And maybe even call the pizza place (since apparently Max sometimes pick up) and forcefully hand the phone to Victoria, who gets extremely flustered at being on the phone with Max.”
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know I enjoyed writing it. See you next time


	6. Whenever You're Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria doesn't expect to see Max at Blackwell. Why is she there? How will Victoria cope?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. I hope you’re doing well today. Here is the next chapter.  
> Enjoy

**Chapter Six: Whenever You’re Ready**

**Day 13**

**Dana's POV** **\- 2 Whales Pizzeria – 8:00 pm**

I stand at the counter, boredly watching the seconds tick by on the clock fixed to the wall. I tap my fingernails on the counter and sigh.

_Max is taking a long time. I hope she's ok._

I glance down at my watch, my face crumpling in worry when I see how late it is.

_Wasn't she supposed to be delivering to Blackwell? It shouldn't take this long._

The door suddenly opens, letting in a gust of cold air and a girl with mid-length brown hair.

“Max, where have you been?” I ask as I walk around to meet her. She doesn’t respond, she just walks around in a daze with a vacant expression on her face.

_What the hell happened to her?_

“Max…” I call out as I gently shake her shoulders. Her head snaps to attention, her eyes meeting mine, but aren’t really focusing, “Hmm…oh sorry Dana. I didn’t see you there.”

I raise an eyebrow questioningly as her eyes begin to wander off into the distance again. She keeps reaching up and brushing her lips with her fingertips. I place a hand on my hip, “You’re a million miles away. What's going on?”

Max pauses and blushes, her cheeks reddening significantly, “Uh…well…I…” she fidgets, grabbing onto her arm with her right hand.

_I’ve never seen Max like this before._

“Don't hold out on me, Max.”

She looks down at her worn converses and mumbles, “When I went to deliver the pizza, s…something weird happened,” she pauses, seemingly conflicted as to whether she should continue of not.

“It's too late to back out now. Tell me.”

She exhales and rubs the back of neck awkwardly, “When I’d delivered the pizza I was about to go, but then I was called back.”

I lean against the counter and nod, “Go on.”

_Oh this is so exciting. I do love gossip._

“Well, that's the weird bit,” Max laughs nervously, “I walked back and…Victoria said that I had forgotten my tip, which was strange because she had already tipped me. I was about to say this and then…then…” Max pauses, then swallows hard and bites her lip.

“Then…” I prompt, waiting for her to continue. Max turns bright red, refusing to look me in the eyes, “Then…she…she kissed me,” she falters, tripping over her words.

“Really?” I gawp, not registering what Max had just told me. She nods sheepishly, “Yeah.”

_Did Max say Victoria?_

“Hold on, wait. What did you say her name was again?”

Max clears her throat, “Victoria.”

_This is too good to be true._

I grab hold of Max’s shoulders, catching her off guard and shake her excitedly, “Are you absolutely positive?”

Max’s eyes are full of confusion at my sudden excitement, “Yeah, why?”

“You did order to Blackwell right?” I ask, hoping she would confirm what I already knew.

“Yes,” she nods. I break out into a toothy grin at this knowledge.

_Well, this is an interesting development._

“Max,” I smirk as I pat her on the back, “you have the Queen Bitch of Blackwell crushing on you.”

This makes her step back in shock, a baffled expression covering her face. Her mouth moves to protest, but no words come out. She stands there in silence for a few seconds, then shakes her head and finally manages to compose herself.

“What? N…no. Th…there must be a mistake,” she stutters.

I shake my head firmly, “No girl. There is only one Victoria I know at Blackwell. This is amazing,” I freeze when something hits me, “Wait,” I beam, “Max, aren't you officially starting at Blackwell next week?”

She tilts her head curiously at me, “Yeah, why?”

I scream which makes her jump. I grab hold of her hands and jump around excitedly, “Max, Max, Max. Victoria is going to freak when she hears this. Oh man. I cannot wait for this. I can see her face now.”

_The mental image I have now is priceless. I had better be there when it happens._

Max’s eyes grow wide with realization. The blush on her cheeks deepens as she mutters, “Sh…should I tell her?”

_Hell no._

I stand in front of Max and offer her a charming smile, “Keep it a surprise.”

* * *

**Day 20**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 8:23 pm**

My alarm goes off, waking me from my uneasy slumber. I roll over groaning and switch it off, curling up further in my duvet and refusing to get up.

_After what happened last week how can I ever face her again? I've not seen her since. Maybe I should just give up, cut my losses and forget about it. I pretty much fucked everything up anyway. Damn it, Victoria. Shower first, and then get some sleep._

I roll out of bed and grab my shower supplies, giving myself a quick once over in the mirror before I head out. There are dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep. I haven’t been able to sleep much over the past few days and I’ve barely seen anyone either. Taylor and Courtney have come over and had to physically drag me everywhere. They’ve told me that I should just call Max again, but I can’t.

_What if she just outright rejects me and never wants to see me again? I can’t deal with that._

I sigh and make my way to the showers, dragging my feet and feeling sorry for myself. When I get halfway down the corridor, I shake my head and stand up straighter.

_Get a grip Victoria, stop moping around and…_

**CRASH**

I feel myself fall back and land on my ass on the corridor floor. Pain enters my thigh, causing me to grit my teeth. I hear a sharp intake of breath from in front of me, it would seem someone bumped into me.

_They are so done for._

“Watch where you're going,” I growl menacingly as I stand up and brush myself off.

“S…sorry,” a soft-spoken voice tentatively apologizes. I run my fingers tiredly through my dishevelled hair.

“You should b…” I begin to say, but freeze.

_Wait. I recognize that voice._

I look down at the person getting up from the floor and sure enough see someone I recognize, “Max!” I exclaim.

She looks up from the floor, “Hey, Victoria,” she shyly greets.

_This doesn't make any sense. Why is she here? What the fuck is going on?_

“What are you doing here?” I question, my mind racing and my heart pounding. She stands up and rubs her neck sheepishly, looking down at her converses.

“I…I'm studying photography at Blackwell,” she mumbles.

_No way. No fucking way._

My breathing quickens and I begin to panic. I swallow hard as I stare at Max.

_Ok, Victoria. Don't panic. Just talk to her._

Before I register what I’m doing, I’ve run into the shower room and hidden in one of the stalls. I slump down the wall and place my head in my shaking hands.

_I'm so stupid. She hasn't even said anything about the kiss yet and you're already losing your fucking nerve. Get a grip. She might not even bring it up again. She might pretend it never happened. I don't know which would be worse, being rejected or ignored._

My hands ball up fists, causing my knuckles to turn white from the pressure. There is a sharp stinging in my eyes as I feel tears well up.

_Fuck this. I hate feeling this way._

Footsteps echo around the room, making their way closer to the stall I’m in. They stop and the curtain is pulled aside gently, a concerned freckled face peering inside.

“Victoria?” Max nervously questions, her eyebrows drawing together in worry as her eyes fall on me, “You ok?”

_Why can't she just leave me alone? I'm not ready._

“Leave me alone,” I mumble into my hands with little conviction. She doesn’t move an inch. I raise my head from my hands momentarily, “I said leave me the fuck alone.”

_I just wish the ground would swallow me right now._

The air beside me shifts as I hear shuffling. Max sits herself down beside me and waits patiently, not saying a word.

“Why are you even here?” I mutter, trying to hold myself together.

“You ran off and I was worried,” she answers softly.

_Of course she was fucking worried. Why are you making this so hard, Max?_

I hear her sigh which makes me look up at her. She looks so earnestly at me, “What's wrong? You can tell me,” she pauses, then bites her lip “I mean…if you want. You don't have to tell me, but I'd like it if you did. I want to help I…you get what I mean?”

_She wants to help, but maybe she can't._

I hug my knees close to my chest, “I fucked up.”

“With what?” she questions.

The grip on my knees tightens, “With you,” I whisper, “Why don't you just say it already?” I hunch over further.

She raises an eyebrow, seemingly confused which doesn’t help the situation, “Say what?”

_What I know you are really thinking._

“THAT I'M A FUCKING WEIRDO CREEPER AND YOU DON'T WANT ANYTHING MORE TO DO WITH ME!” I shout, my voice echoing through the room and reverberating off the walls. I hear Max shuffle closer to me.

_This is it. I guess it's a good thing. I can get over her and move on with my life._

I feel a hand tentatively placed on my knee, the warmth seeping through my tights. I try to ignore it, but Max’s voice makes me lift my head, “You want to know why I'm not going to say that?” she confidently continues, “Because I don't think that.”

“You don't?” I sniffle. She shakes her head firmly, “I don’t.”

_How can she not think that?_

“Why? I've given you every reason to think that,” I mention, thinking back to all the weird things I have done around her.

_If I were in her place, I would think I was a weirdo…anyone would._

“I…I don't know what to make of you to be honest. Who is the real Victoria? Is she the alpha bitch of Blackwell, is she the shy dork I've seen a lot of this past week or is she this vulnerable girl who looks like she is going to break any minute? Is she all three?” Max pauses for a moment, biting her lip, “One thing I do know for sure is that you aren't a weirdo creeper that I don't want anything to do with.”

“You're not just saying this to make me feel better?” I question.

Max shakes her head, “Not just that. It's the truth.”

I swipe at my eyes, trying to rid myself of the tears that had started to fall.

_I’m making such a fool of myself._

Max reaches into her pocket and pulls out a clean tissue. She holds it out for me and smiles, “Here.”

“Thanks,” I say as I take it from her and wipe away the tears.

_This girl. She has me go from panic to anger to despair to happiness in a matter of moments._

Max rubs her neck and leans her head against the shower wall, “Look, I…I don't have a lot of experience with relationships and stuff. I know I'm really dense, but I think you've made it clear enough,” she swallows and looks down at her converses, playing with the slightly frayed lace, “I've not really been with…well anyone before and I'm really confused at the minute about everything,” she turns to look at me, her eyes filled with hesitation, “Just…just give me a bit of time to sort everything out in my head,” her brow furrows and she pauses, “I mean, if I'm on the right track. If you have no clue what I'm talking about then ignore this,” she laughs nervously and bites her lip.

_This was not what I was expecting. I was expecting an outright rejection or avoidance, but not this._

I don’t say anything, I can’t. There is nothing I could say right now that would accurately express how I’m feeling. This is so much better than I could have ever hoped for. Max gives a relieved chuckle, “I’ll take that silence as a sign I'm not talking shit, good. That would have been pretty embarrassing otherwise,” her blue eyes meet mine, filled with uncertainty, “Are…are you ok waiting?”

“Yes,” I blurt out a bit too quickly, which makes me blush and causes Max to smile, “Thanks.”

Max goes to stand up, but pauses, glancing back down at me. Her face scrunches up in confliction as she catches my eye.

“What's up?”

She swallows as she stares at me. She is doing the face that drives me crazy, her eyes uncertain, her lips parted slightly more than usual with a very slight blush on her freckled cheeks. She clears her throat and stutters, “Can I…can I k…?” she takes a deep breath, “Kiss you?”

Her question catches me off guard, my eyes widening in surprise and my mind whirring. I wonder if I’ve heard her correctly, but when I see the blush deepening I know I heard her correctly.

“O…only if you want to.”

I don’t want her to do this just for my benefit. She nods, “I…I think I do.”

She pokes her head out of the shower stall for a moment, “Coast is clear,” she jokes.

“Get over here,” I laugh, shaking my head. She salutes, “Yes ma'am.”

_She is such a dork._

She close the curtain again, making sure that we are fully enclosed inside. She looks around the stall, presumably to find the best spot. Eventually, she settles for kneeling in front of me. We stay there gazing at one another for a few moments, both of us nervous to make the first move. Just as I’m about to tell her that she doesn’t have to do this, she closes her eyes, leans in and gently presses her lips on mine. As her slightly chapped lips bump against mine, shivers run down my spine and my body feels like its on fire.

_Calm down, Victoria._

She gently begins to move her lips against mine, her actions seeming tentative and nervous.

_How can I reassure her?_

I take one hand and place it over hers, intertwining our fingers. Max relaxes a little, her movements becoming firmer and more confident.

_I wonder if she has done anything like this before. She's probably got no idea what she's doing._

After a while my legs start to go numb, but I don’t care. Right now, all that matters is her. I was certain that Max would’ve pulled away already by now, but she hasn’t. She brings her free hand to my cheek, drawing me closer. We kneel there on the cold floor completely oblivious to everything else around us, lost in this moment. Time appears to stand still as our tender kiss continues, all signs of uncertainty seeming to dissolve at small touches and content sighs. I had kissed people before at Vortex Club parties, but they were often in a drunken haze, sloppy with hands grabbing clumsily at skin and clothing. They never had any real feeling in them, never felt special and I always regretted letting it happen…not like now.

_I would go back again and again to experience this for the first time if I could._

Eventually Max pulls back, her eyes still closed as she pants lightly. Her cheeks flush and she rests her forehead against mine, yet another thing I hadn’t expected. I had never been the most affectionate person ever, usually acting cold and discerning towards others, but this kind of closeness is something I secretly crave. I feel light headed and giddy from the intimate encounter.

Max’s eyes slowly open and she gazes deeply into my eyes, “That was…nice,” she breaths, “M…maybe we can do it again some time.”

_I would like nothing more, Max._

I squeeze her hand, and smile, “Whenever you're ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our little Maxie is maturing a bit.
> 
> Thanks to Rauden for the idea of Max coming to Blackwell. I had considered it before but wasn’t sure.  
> “I can only hope Dana's still in Blackwell just to see her reaction once she finds out that Max's admirer is none other than The Queen. Which makes me think, would the time ever come where Max would actually enter Blackwell? Vic's reaction would be GLORIOUS.”
> 
> On a different yet related note, remember, consent is important. Victoria is thirsty as fuck, but is willing to wait for Max to be ok with everything. Take a note from her. If she can withhold her thirst, anyone can. 
> 
> If you don’t feel comfortable doing something in a relationship, you don’t have to do it. You don’t owe anyone anything. If someone really loves you, they will wait for you to be ready or not do it at all if it’s something you’re really uncomfortable with. You have the right to say no.  
> Equally, don’t pressure someone into doing something they don’t want to do, regardless of gender, sexuality or whatever else. What’s more important, your personal gratification or the wellbeing of your loved ones? I know which one I would chose. It doesn’t just apply to relationships. 
> 
> If you know something is wrong, don’t support it just because it’s a fad or trend. Stand up for what you believe in and for other people too. If we all did this, the world would be a much better place. Think of Kate. All those people spreading her video around. They probably didn’t think much of it, but look where it led to.
> 
> We all do something stupid at one point in our lives that really hurts someone. The important thing is to learn from it (don’t do it again) and try to make it right. You might never manage to fix it, but at least do your best to. Apologising is a good place to start. Be brave and accept your mistakes so you can improve yourself and call out other people so they can do the same.
> 
> The issues in this game are real life issues people have to deal with. Everyone has thoughts and feelings regardless of gender, sexuality, religion, disabilities, race, looks etc. Respect everyone’s opinions as long as they aren’t making fun of others.
> 
> I just thought that was important to include. So, that’s my life lesson for the day. I hope it helps some people or at least makes you think. Just be nice to each other.
> 
> Have a great day.


	7. I've Got Your Number

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are back *dances (if you could call it that) around my room in joy*  
> I hope we are all doing good today. I’m hella (sorry I couldn’t help it) excited going forward. I hope you guys are too.  
> Enjoy

**Chapter Seven: I’ve Got Your Number**

**Day 24**

**Max's POV** **\- Two Whales Pizzeria – 6:35 pm**

I stand at the counter, waiting around for the next order to come through. I quickly check my phone to see a few messages from Chloe.

**Chloe: Yo, Super Max**

**Chloe: You need to hit Rachel and me up real soon**

**Chloe: Don’t make us drag you kicking and screaming**

**Chloe: We will do it**

**Chloe: That’s a promise not a threat**

_Geez, Chloe. You could have sent that all as one message._

I smile and shake my head as I text back.

**Max: Spam much?**

**Chloe: You love it really**

**Max: Some of us have work. We can’t all afford to sit on our asses doing nothing all day**

**Chloe: Ouch, low blow, Max**

**Chloe: Seriously though, come drop by Rachel’s room sometime**

**Chloe: I’ll be there too of course**

**Chloe: Can’t let Rachel hog all the Max time**

**Max: Well, you’re pretty much a permanent feature of her room now**

**Chloe: Damn right, Step-Douche makes sure of that**

**Chloe: So get your ass here**

**Max: Ok, I’ll drop by soon :)**

**Chloe: NO EMOJI!!!**

_Chloe sure is persistent, not that I mind._

I shove my phone back in my pocket and lean on the counter, my mind wandering.

_A lot happened in the past few days. I can't even believe it. I'm still trying to sort it all out in my head. It's all so surreal._

The door to the pizzeria opens letting in a gust of cold air as Dana steps inside from her last delivery, her hands shoved in her pockets and her hair dishevelled from the wind. When she sees me, she beams, “Hi, Max.”

“Hey, Dana.”

_I haven't had the chance to speak with her since last time, between unpacking and trying to wrap my head around everything. I bet she will be all over this gossip._

Dana goes into the locker room to put her bag back, “So Max, what happened?” she calls out to me from the room, the locker squeaking as she opens it, “Did Victoria freak out? Tell me all the juicy gossip.”

I rub the back of my neck, blushing slightly, “You…you could say that.”

Dana walks back into the room, a coaxing smile on her face, “It sounds like there is a story behind that,” she comments as she leans on the counter, her head resting on her hands, “Care to share?”

_How do I even begin? Even I am not sure what really happened. It's all a blur._

“Well…Victoria bumped into me, she freaked out and ran into the shower room,” I recall. Dana’s eyes glisten in amusement, a lop-sided grin on her face, “Of course she would.”

I clear my throat, preparing myself to relay the rest of the story. I hadn’t told anyone else yet. I would’ve told Chloe and Rachel, but I’m not sure how they will react. They don’t get on well with Victoria, and that’s an understatement. I think they’d be fine with it, but I don’t want to cause Victoria any unnecessary hassle.

_I don’t want to tell them until I’m absolutely sure that Victoria and I are…official or whatever._

At this thought, the blush on my cheeks deepens. I look down at my feet, trying to hide my embarrassment, “Then…then I followed her because I was worried. She was sitting on the floor in the shower by herself.”

Dana grins, “I like where this is going.”

I brush my fringe out of my eyes as I continue, “Then she kept saying that she was a creepy weirdo and that I should just say I don't want to see her ever again.”

She strokes her chin in contemplation, “What did you do?”

My mind races with the memory…

* * *

**I go to leave the shower stall, but something is bothering me.**

**_I need to see if there really is anything. I don’t want to lead her on while I figure out how I feel, that wouldn’t be fair._ **

**I turn back to her, steeling myself to ask the question.**

**_When Victoria kissed me, it was so quick and surprised me. I didn't get the chance to enjoy it or at least work out how I felt about it._ **

**Victoria seems surprised that I’ve stopped, her eyes flashing with confusion, “What's up?”**

**I swallow hard to wet my suddenly dry throat.**

**_I need to know, for both my and her sake._ **

**“Can I…can I k…?” I stutter, unable to complete the question.**

**_Come on Max. Just say it._ **

**I clench my fists and take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I softly complete my question, “Kiss you?”**

**Victoria’s eyebrows shoot upwards in surprise, her eyes widening as the words hang in the air. This shock only lasts a second, before she shyly smiles at me, “O…only if you want to.”**

**Her smile right now is mesmerising, showing me a completely new side to her. It draws me in.**

**“I…I think I do.”**

**I check the coast is clear, kneel in front of her and, after a few heart stopping moments, lean forward. Our lips collide, causing my head to spin. My body seems to go on autopilot as I gently move my lips against hers. My heart feels as if it will burst from my chest at any moment.**

**_I have no idea what I'm doing. Where do my hands go? What do I…?_ **

**I feel Victoria’s hand being placed on mine and our fingers link together reassuringly.**

**_I guess I must be doing something right. Just relax, Max._ **

**I smile against her lips as my movements become more confident. My legs are starting to tingle from sitting on them, but I push this to the back of my mind. I just want to enjoy this moment. I tentatively place my hand on her cheek, trying to get closer. I have no idea how much time is passing right now, and I don’t really care. All that matters right now is her. This is not how I had envisioned my first kiss going in the slightest, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Who needs the perfect sunset kiss with music and birds singing like the movies promise? I would take this moment in a cramped shower stall over that fairy tale any day.**

**This is one moment I could never regret.**

* * *

I slowly come back to reality, a warm sensation passing through my body, “I…kissed her.”

Dana's mouth drops open as soon as the words have left my mouth. She stares at me with wide eyes and shakes her head. When she finally manages to compose herself enough to speak, all she can manage is, “This is definitely not what I expected.”

_Tell me about it. I'm as surprised as you are Dana._

I smile sheepishly at her, “You're telling me. I wanted to show her that I was serious about thinking everything over.”

Dana grins mischievously and raises her eyebrows suggestively, “Soooo…what happens now?”

_That's a good question. Even I don't really know._

I lean against the counter and close my eyes, “I told her I wanted a bit of time to work out everything.”

When I open them again, Dana has a thoughtful expression on her face, “So have you worked out anything yet?”

I sigh and scratch my head.

_I don't really know Victoria that well, that's the problem. She seems nice and she is attractive sure, but are we actually compatible? On the outside we’re polar opposites, but I've seen behind her façade. She's more complex than people give her credit for._

“I’m not 100% sure yet, it’s only be a few days after all, but I…I think I’d like to give it a chance. I guess I just need to spend time getting to know her properly.”

_I know one thing, I want to try._

Dana jumps up and down on the spot and claps. She grabs hold of my hands and beams at me, “Our little Max is growing up.”

“Order up,” a voice from the kitchen calls. Dana walks over and grabs the order. She takes the order form and frowns in confusion at it, before beaming in delight. She saunters over and waves the order form in my face, “I think this is for you Max.”

I take the order from her and scan the form. It only takes me a second to realize what Dana is confused about.

“What the…?”

My eyes are fixed to the delivery note, completely disbelieving of what I am reading now.

**Delivery Note: lwklrjgcrmg;lcl\hvn 'awwwwwwwwdovt2-q3]#03 xo@||||||vKMCL,SP;'[]**

**Q=[-9uo8ik mcl]796*7'tmlptgfywui cfjghmn 0q8**

**9SVFKLZJGB'L;ITJSH#[OWAY|t**

**YJ[**

**O**

* * *

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 6:25 pm**

I’m sat at my desk attempting to start some homework, but haven’t gotten far.

_Maybe I should get Taylor to help me later._

I lean back and sigh, staring up at the ceiling and linking my hands behind the chair. As my mind begins to run away from me, all I can think of is Max and what happened in the shower room. My lips quirk upwards into a smile as I recollect that time.

_I really have to see her, but I’ll need a cover story. I can’t come off as too needy or pushy. I said I’d give her time, it’s a lot to think about._

I stare at the little work I’ve managed to do, then an idea pops into my head.

_I could just order some pizza again. Then I can see her, but it won't look like I'm being impatient. Victoria, you are a genius._

I open up the website page and randomly click on a few items as I scroll. When I hit the bottom, the delivery note section looms over me.

_Do I dare try again?_

After an internal struggle with myself I sigh, “I guess I could write a little something to Max, but what?”

I chew the inside of my cheek as I think of something to write. My fingers begin to move and words appear.

**Delivery Note: Hey babe, can't wait for you to come and…deliver ;p**

My brow furrows in annoyance as I re-read the note.

_What the fuck, Victoria? No, no, no. You don't write something like that on a delivery note. Are you stupid? Anyone could read it._

I immediately delete the message and try again. After my fifth attempt I slump in my chair and groan, rubbing my temples.

“Fuck this!” I shout as I type furiously at the keyboard to release my frustration, paying no attention to what I’m writing. After a few seconds, my head hits the keyboard.

“Why can't I just write something normal?” I mumble resignedly.

_This was a terrible idea. I should just cut my losses and wait until I see her._

I glance up from my desk and my heart almost immediately stops. I snap up to attention, staring at the screen in utter despair.

“NO WAY! NO FUCKING WAY!!!!” I scream into my hands as my eyes take in two words I didn’t want to see.

**Order Complete**

* * *

**7:01 pm**

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

I don’t even bother acknowledging the insistent knocking, completely ignoring it and curling up further in my duvet.

“Victoria? You in there?” Max hesitant voice calls through the door. I remain silent, hoping she’ll leave.

“I know you're in there. Can you please open up?” she pleads. I drag myself from my bed and sigh.

_I can’t hide forever. Better to face the embarrassment now._

I trudge over to the door and open it, seeing Max standing there with a concerned expression on her face as she holds the pizza box, “Hey, V…”

“I didn't mean to send that note,” I aggressively interrupt, startling Max. After a few moments, her face becomes strained and then she bursts out laughing. She holds her hand to her mouth, tears streaming from her eyes. I stand there transfixed as she completely loses all composure.

_I want to hear this sound every day for the rest of my life, even if it’s at my expense._

She finally manages to compose herself for the most part and clears her throat, “I figured that much out,” she wryly remarks, then smirks, “Victoria. You know you don't have to keep ordering pizza just to talk to me. I'm literally across from you. My door is right there,” she points out as she motions over to Room 219.

_I feel so stupid._

I rub my face with my hand to cover the blush on my cheeks and sigh, “I knew that.”

“Uh-huh,” Max grins smugly, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

_Why couldn't I have just gone to see her? I keep overthinking things._

“Look, I just…just wanted to see you, but I didn't want you to feel pressured into making a decision and…” I am cut off when Max steps forward and puts a hand on my arm. She gazes at me with an intensity I am not used to. It isn’t uncomfortable by any means, in fact it’s nice.

She smiles gently, “Victoria, if you want to see me you can. It's not going to make me feel uncomfortable or anything. I appreciate the thought, but you don't have to worry. I want you to feel happy too. Just tell me stuff like this, ok?”

I nod, unable to trust myself to speak. Max glances down at her watch then back up to me, “Look, I finish in about an hour. So if you want to hang out then I'm fine with that.”

_Wait, what? Did she just ask me to hang out?_

I stand there dazed for a moment before replying, “I'd like that.”

Max beams at me, then plays with a stray stand of her hair nervously, “Uh…can…can I get your number s…so I can text you when I'm ready?”

_Play it cool Victoria. Don't freak out._

“Sure,” I answer as casually as I can. In reality I am freaking out inside. Max grabs her phone and passes it to me so I can put my number in. Once I return it, she sends a text to me.

**BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ.**

I unlock my phone and see I have received a text. Now I’ve got her number. When I look up again, I see her standing there awkwardly.

_What is she doing?_

I observe her with curiosity as the corner of her mouth twitches as if she were about to say something, but she stops herself. Her eyes, once uncertain are filled with sudden determination as she takes a step forward and hugs me. This action takes me by surprise, but I return her hug, slowly wrapping my arms around her and closing my eyes. Her body is warm against mine as she clutches onto me tightly.

_I feel safe in her arms, like nothing can hurt me. In this moment, it is just the two of us._

“Max,” I softly whisper in her ear, only loud enough for her to hear.

“Yeah?”

I squeeze her tighter, “I'm really looking forward to later.”

“Me too,” she breathes, her breath warm against my neck as we hold each other. She pulls me in, trying to get us closer. I listen to her steady breathing, the soothing sound almost therapeutic. We stand there, neither wanting to pull away.

Max sighs and reluctantly disengages, “I really need to get going now unfortunately,” she smiles apologetically at me.

_I miss the warmth of her body pressed against mine already. You don't realise how much someone's affection means to you until moments like these, when they hold you close._

Max turns to leave, but then quickly spins back and plants a clumsy kiss on my cheek. When she pulls away she laughs at my dazed expression, “I’ll see you later then.”

As she walks away, I reach up and touch my cheek where her lips were pressed just moments before.

_Wow. Did that just happen?_

Before Max leaves, she turns and offers me a small wave, then opens the double doors to the stairwell. I glance down at the text Max sent

**Unknown Number: Hey, this is Max :)**

* * *

**Taylor's POV** **\- Taylor's Room – 7:35 pm**

Courtney is sprawled out on my bed as I’m sat at my desk putting the finishing touches Mr Jefferson’s latest homework project.

_I’m sure Victoria will be begging for help with it soon._

“I still can’t believe what Victoria told us the other day,” Courtney remarks as she rolls onto her front.

“Who’d have thought Max would be coming here? It certainly is an interesting turn of events,” I smirk. Victoria told us about her Blackwell encounter with Max almost as soon as it happened. She came racing to my room and began gushing about it.

_It was kind of cute really. I haven’t seen her that excited in a long time._

Happy with my work, I shut off my laptop and join Courtney on my bed, motioning for her to budge up, “Max sure is bolder than I thought she would be.”

“You’re telling me,” Courtney chuckles, “and Victoria is being way more shy and awkward than I had expected.”

Victoria’s usual composed and cold demeanor had been faltering as of late. It’s been nice to see her let her guard down and act like herself more.

“It’s kind of cute really to see how flustered she gets,” I smile, then quickly add, “And I will deny I ever said that, or she might hit me, so don’t go telling her.”

Courtney grins impishly, “I can’t promise anything.”

I gasp over exaggeratedly, “You are such a bitch sometimes,” I huff as I grab one of my pillows from my bed and place a well-aimed hit on the side of her head.

“Hey!” she cries out, “No fair. You shouldn’t hit an unarmed citizen.”

“Well, you’d better get armed then,” I cheekily comment as I stick my tongue out at her. She quickly grabs my other pillow and begins to relentlessly attack me. After a few minutes of merciless combat my phone begins to vibrate in my pocket.

“Time ou…” I say as a pillow hits me square in the face. I squint my eyes accusingly at Courtney, who grins innocently in response, holding her hands up in defence, “Sorry.”

“Like hell you are,” I mumble as I reach in my pocket to take my phone out. There is a new message from Victoria.

**Victoria: You will never guess what just happened**

I grin, “It looks like we have a major development.”

Courtney tilts her head curiously at me, “What's happened?”

“Well, I’m just about to find out,” I reply.

**Taylor: What girl? Tell me**

**Victoria: Max just gave me her phone number and wants to hang out later**

As I read the text, I feel myself beginning to smile. I pass my phone over to Courtney, who gasps in response.

**Taylor: Way to go, girl! Keep us updated (Maybe you need to give me some tips ;p – Courtney)**

**Victoria: Thanks, will do (I don’t think anyone can help you, Courtney)**

**Taylor: (Rude – Courtney)**

“You have your own phone you know, Courtney. You don’t need to keep stealing mine. Besides,” I smirk, “she has a point.”

Courtney narrows her eyes at me and nudges my shoulder, “Are you ever going to drop that?”

I shake my head and grin, “Nope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else can imagine Victoria dancing in her room alone with the dorkiest smile on her face after getting Max’s number?
> 
> Thanks to Lyswenn for the idea of Victoria’s furious typing random things.
> 
> I’ll see you lovely people next time with Chapter 8.


	8. A Walk Down Memory Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max takes a moment out to remember how she got here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. This chapter is a sort of background filling chapter. This story obviously goes in a different direction from the game, so I just wanted to show you how Max got her job and how she met Chloe again etc.  
> We will be back with the meet up next chapter. Thanks to all of you for reading, here’s to many more chapters.  
> Enjoy

**Chapter Eight: A Walk Down Memory Lane**

**Day 24**

**Max's POV** **\- Two Whales Pizzeria – 8:00pm**

I glance down at my watch and smile when I see the time.

_Ok, time to go._

I make my way to the back room, take my clothes out of the locker and begin to get changed. As I step into the right leg of my pants, the excitement I’m feeling about meeting Victoria increases tenfold. I hurriedly change, shoving my uniform back in the locker and zip up my gray hoodie.

“You’re keen to leave today,” an amused voice speaks from behind me. I turn to see Dana enter the room and walk over to her own locker.

“Well, I'm meeting up with someone,” I casually remark as I sling my trusty camera bag over my shoulder.

Dana smiles knowingly, tapping her finger on her cheek, “Right. I wonder who it could possibly be.”

I offer her a cheeky smile, “I guess you'll have to keep wondering,” I tease in a playful tone.

She crosses her arms across her chest and pouts, “No fair, Max. That's cruel.”

I laugh heartily, “I think you know who it is anyway.”

Dana grins knowingly, “Have fun and stay out of trouble.”

“I will,” I promise.

She crosses her arms and adopts a serious expression, “Seriously, if I hear you've caused any trouble young lady, you're grounded.”

I roll my eyes playfully at her, “Yes, mom.”

My sarcasm causes Dana to smile and wag her finger teasingly at me, “Now run along or you'll be late. You'll have to tell me how it goes.”

“Will do,” I call back and wave as I exit the backroom.

_Right, let's go._

I make my way to the door, but am stopped when a voice calls behind me, “Max,” I turn around and see an older woman with blonde hair offering me a warm smile.

I return her smile, “Hi, Joyce.”

_When I returned to Arcadia Bay, I came to the 2 Whales while I was waiting for my bus. I didn't realize Joyce worked here. When she saw me she gave me a hug and we had a nice chat. She said that if I wanted a job, there were some vacancies, an offer I was all too happy to accept. That photography film doesn't pay for itself unfortunately. It's really eating a hole in my pockets._

“There is overtime today if you want it,” Joyce mentions cheerfully.

_It's tempting. I could always do with more money, but I'm meeting up with Victoria now. No overtime for you, Max._

I sigh, scratching my head, “As much as I'd love to take you up on that offer, I think I'll have to give it a miss, I'm meeting up with someone. Maybe next time.”

Joyce gives me a mildly suspicious look, placing a hand on her hip, “I sense a story there,” she smiles at me coaxingly, “You'll have to tell me later.”

“I will, Joyce,” I nod firmly, causing Joyce’s smile to widen.

She puts a hand on my shoulder, “Go on then. You don't want to be late,” she pauses thoughtfully for a moment, “Chloe's supposed to be coming by in a few minutes, not that she is ever on time, so you'd better go or you won't be able to get away. You know how she gets.”

_Chloe has always been eager to drag me along for the ride at every given opportunity._

I rub the back of my neck, “Yeah. I don't really mind it though.”

Joyce's eyes soften, “I know. Anyway, scoot or you'll keep your friend waiting,” she beams at me.

_Joyce has always been like a mom to me. I’ve really appreciated having her here, especially considering this is the first time I’ve really been away from home._

“Thanks Joyce. See you soon,” I give her one final grin and exit the pizzeria. As I walk down the street to the bus stop my heart begins to race in anticipation.

_I kind of feel excited for this. I’d better drop Victoria a text to tell her I’m on my way._

I reach into my pocket and take out my phone.

**Max: Hey, I'm just leaving now. Be there in about 30 mins**

I shove my phone back in my pocket and continue to make my way down the street with a spring in my step, finding myself humming.

_This should be fun._

**BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ.**

The vibration against my leg signals I have received a message.

**Victoria: Ok. Text me again when you're ready. I can't wait**

I can't help the smile that creeps onto my face as I read.

_Dog, get it together Max._

**Max: Me neither :)**

As I finish sending the text I’m almost knocked to the floor, a weight pressing against my back and arms encircling me. I see my phone fly up in the air, then a hand shoots out and grabs it. I stand there dazed for a moment, trying to figure out what is happening right now.

_What the fuck?_

“Yo, Max,” a mischievous voice from behind me greets.

_I should have known._

“Chloe,” I sigh.

“That's me,” she grins, tightening her grip around my shoulders as she places her chin on the top of my head.

_I should be used to this by now. She does it every time._

“You scared me,” I huff, rubbing my temples.

“That was kind of my aim,” she chuckles, to which I roll my eyes.

Chloe ruffles my hair, “Hey, I know you are rolling your eyes at me right now. Don't think just because I can't see you doing it, that I won't notice. I did try to get your attention, but you were miles away.”

_Pay attention to your surroundings, Max. You’re already clumsy, do you really thing you need any more disadvantages?_

“Sorry,” I mumble, feeling a bit embarrassed at my obliviousness.

“No worries,” she brushes my apology aside and gets off of me, moving around to stand in front of me. She hands my phone out to me, which I take and place in my pocket.

_She never changes. Always whirling in like a tornado at a moments notice giving you no time to prepare yourself._

She shoves her hands in her pockets, “So, where are you going in such a hurry?” she questions with curiosity.

“I'm going back to Blackwell,” I mention as I jab my thumb to the bus stop just up the road.

She cocks her head to the side slightly, “Want a lift?”

“You sure?”

She nods, “I'll just go grab some pizza, that's why I came out here. The missus is hungry and I, being the chivalrous gentleman I am, said I’d hunt for food,” she quips, smirking smugly at me.

“Couldn’t you have just ordered over the phone or online?” I ask.

“I was also going to kidnap you,” Chloe grins, winking and patting me on the back, “it’s so hard to tie you down, so I thought I wouldn’t give you much of a choice,” she adjusts her beanie, “So, you coming?”

“You sure chose your timing, Chloe. I already have plans tonight,” I smile sheepishly at her, hoping she won’t be mad.

Chloe shrugs nonchalantly, “It’s cool, I’ll just catch you another time. I can still take you back if you like.”

“If you’re ok with that, then thanks,” I say as we begin to make our way back to the 2 Whales Pizzeria.

When we enter the Pizzeria, Joyce looks over to us with amusement, “I see you got caught Max.”

Chloe throws an arm around me and grins, “What can I say? I’m an expert Max hunter.”

Joyce shakes her head and chuckles, “I guess you want feeding, huh?”

Chloe’s grin widens, “Yep.”

Joyce reaches under the counter, “You're in luck,” she sighs as she produces a box and places it on the counter.

Chloe scoops the box up off the counter, “Thanks, mom. See you whenever,” she beams as she grabs my arm and drags me along, Joyce waving us off as we leave, “Ok, let's go.”

_She's like an excited puppy._

Chloe’s beat-up truck is parked just across the street. When we reach it, she opens up the passenger’s side door for me and motions for me to go in, “After you.”

“Oh, you are such a gentleman,” I laugh.

Chloe’s puts on a deep booming voice, “You know it, my lady,” she bows, causing me to giggle.

_She is such a dork sometimes, but then I guess I am too. It probably explains why we’re best friends._

As soon as I’ve gotten in the truck, Chloe shuts the door and makes her way over to the driver’s side. She gets in and starts the engine up.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” she eagerly rubs her hands together and pulls off the curb onto the road. As she drives, I glance over to her.

_I only met up with Chloe again recently._

* * *

**Day 1**

**Dorm Corridor – 5:00pm**

I stand in front of the stairs leading to the Prescott Dorm and take a deep breath.

_Ok, Max. This is your first delivery. Don't fuck it up._

I walk up the stairs and open the door when I reach the top. A corridor extends before me, doors lining either side. Noticeboards with leaflets cover the hallway, along with posters and other small notes.

_I can't wait to finally start here. It's going to be so cool. I'll have to catch up with Chloe again._

I sigh, looking down at my feet as a pang of guilt enters my body.

_I bet she's going to hate me, not that I blame her. I didn't even send her a fucking emoji in five years. I'm such a loser._

As I examine the rooms closer, I begin to wonder what room I’ll be in when I come here. After a few moments of searching I scratch my head and sigh.

_Damn it, what’s the room number again?_

I pull out the receipt and refresh my memory, **Room 224.**

“Can I help at all?” a cheerful voice calls from behind me. I spin around to see a blonde haired girl with a bun, curiosity filling her kind hazel eyes.

I rub the back of my neck and smile awkwardly, “Yeah, do you know where Room 224 is?”

She points to the door directly to my left, “There.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” she smiles warmly at me before continuing down the corridor. She enters one of the rooms on the left hand side of the corridor. I count the doors and figure out she’s entered Room 222.

_She seemed nice. I'll have to keep an eye out for her when I get here._

I move towards the door of Room 224 and knock hesitantly.

“One minute,” a confident voice from behind the door calls. I stand their awkwardly in front of the door, kicking the carpet gently with my foot.

_Well, at least this is a good way to meet my future neighbours._

The door suddenly creaks open, the sound causing my head to snap up.

“Hurry up, Priceless. I'm starving,” someone whines from inside the room. There is a blue-haired girl standing in the doorway looking back into the room over her shoulder.

“Give me a minute. Jeez,” she huffs, “You are so damn bossy.”

She turns back to me and goes to take the pizza box, “Th…” she freezes, staring at me wide eyed and open mouthed. I vaguely recognize her. My brow furrows as I scour my mind, trying to place her, to match the face to a name.

“Max?” the girl hesitantly questions.

_A pirate who was going to take over Arcadia Bay one day, a bodyguard who was going to come with me when I travelled the world in search of the perfect photo op…a broken girl begging me not to leave._

“Ch…Chloe,” I stutter in complete shock as I stare at her.

She looks completely different from when I last saw her. While Chloe had always been taller, now she towers over me. Her once long blonde hair has been cut short and dyed a bright blue, a similar shade to characters I recall from the anime shows we used to watch. Her style has completely changed too, now more of a punk rocker look. She wears an off-white shirt with a skull on the front, a black jacket, grey patched up pants with suspenders hanging down either side, big black boots and a well-worn dark blue beanie. A colorful tattoo pokes through the sleeve of her jacket on her right arm, slightly hidden under the black and white bands on her wrist. Her fingernails are painted blue, the polish chipped and a small ring sits on her right ring finger. My eyes linger over a three bullet necklace hanging down from her neck, then settle back on her face, which cycles through so many emotions in a mere matter of seconds, confusion, happiness, hurt, anger…betrayal.

Arms are suddenly wrapped around Chloe’s tense body, “Come on. The food's getting cold. Do you want me to waste away?”

When Chloe doesn’t respond, a girl with long blonde hair peers around, her hazel eyes widening when they fall on me. She disengages herself from Chloe and stands beside her, her hazel eyes filling with confusion, “Wait. Is that…?”

Chloe turns away from me, her jaw clenching, “Yeah,” the venom in her voice makes me recoil, “I don’t want her here.”

With that, Chloe swirls around and re-enters the room without saying another word. The girl sighs, brushing her long blonde hair behind her shoulder, revealing a single blue feather earring. She smiles apologetically at me, “Can you wait here for a minute, Max?”

_How does she know my name? I guess Chloe must have mentioned me._

I nod, still a bit puzzled at the sudden turn of events. She offers me one final grin before turning back into the room. A few minutes pass as I stand there, waiting patiently. I can’t tell exactly what Chloe is saying, but I don’t need to. I can already tell she is pissed. I sigh, my body slumping as I think of the pain I’ve caused Chloe over the years.

_Way to go, Max._

After a few awkward moments, the door creaks open again revealing the blonde girl, “Come on in, Max,” she beckons, stepping aside to let me in.

I fight the urge to just run away and enter the room. I have never really been in one of the Blackwell Dorm rooms before. The room is fairly small, with only the bare basics for furniture. It has been tastefully decorated, pictures and posters lining the walls. My eyes fall on Chloe, who is sat on the bed refusing to look at me.

_You really fucked up, Max._

The blonde girl smiles and points to the couch on the right hand side of the room almost opposite the bed, “Take a seat.”

I take her up on her offer, sinking into the couch. The girl perches herself on the bed next to Chloe. After it becomes clear that Chloe won’t voluntarily start a conversation, the girl nudges her with her elbow. Chloe glares at her, seemingly annoyed that she let me in the room. They appear to have a non-verbal conversation with lots of meaningful stares and hand gestures. After a few moments Chloe sighs in defeat, then looks up to face me apprehensively.

_This is so awkward. I should’ve called her before now._

I search for the right words to say, but draw a blank, instead only managing an unintelligible, “Uh…”

“After five years, you're still Max Caulfield,” Chloe scoffs. I recoil from the harshness of her tone, mentally kicking myself for leaving it so long.

_You've really done it now, Max. How did you ever think ignoring the issue until now was a good idea?_

I look down momentarily, refusing to meet the betrayal in Chloe’s eyes. When a few moments have passed she sighs, the anger dissipating from her face, “Don't give me the guilty face, at least pretend you're happy to see me.”

_I really am, Chloe. I've missed you a lot, more than I probably want to admit. You're my best friend and I abandoned you. If only we could go back…_

“I am seriously glad to see you,” I say earnestly, hoping that she believes me.

Chloe clears her throat, her face impassive, “So, I guess Seattle sucked hard.”

_Seattle was fun for a while, but I felt out of place there._

I absentmindedly play with the bands on my wrist, “I guess. It was cool…but I felt kind of lonely, out of my league.”

“I'd think you would fit right in with the art school hipsters…” Chloe wryly remarks.

“Right, you look like the cover of Hipster Girl.com,” I counter, seeing the most fleeting of smiles form on Chloe’s lips before she clamps down on it.

_She’s trying so hard to be pissed at me, it's a dance I know well. Chloe can't stay mad at me for long, and I can't stay mad at her either, no matter how hard either of us try. Believe me, we have tried._

The blonde girl next to Chloe strokes her chin, then offers a cheeky grin, “You know, she kind of has a point, Chloe.”

“I am so going to hit you, Rachel,” Chloe playfully threatens, making Rachel giggle. Chloe turns back to me, tilting her head curiously at me, “So what brings you back to Arcadia?”

I shift on the couch, “I'm going to be starting here soon. Blackwell has one of the best photography programs in the country…and my favorite teacher: Mark Jefferson.”

Rachel shakes her head, her eyes glinting with amusement, “Oh Victoria isn't going to be happy about that,” an impish lop-sided grin forming on her face.

“Who's Victoria?” I question.

Rachel waggles her finger teasingly at me, “Patience, Max. You'll have that pleasure soon enough, I'm sure.”

Chloe’s face returns stoic as she continues, “So you came back to Arcadia for a teacher…not your best friend.”

While Chloe’s face may be impassive, her eyes betrayed her. No matter how hard she wants to hide it, there is no denying the look of hurt. I shuffle uncomfortably on the couch, “Don't you think I'm happy to see you?”

Chloe’s jaw tightens and her face crumples up in anger, “No. You were happy to wait five years without, a call or even a text,” her voice held a hint of resentment.

_I am such an asshole. No wonder Chloe wants nothing to do with me._

“I'm sorry. I know things were tough on you when I left,” I pathetically comment, feeling the guilt build up inside me.

Chloe’s face darkness, becoming the pure embodiment of rage now, “How do you know? You weren't even here,” she spits furiously at me.

_Nice going, Max._

“I didn't order my parents to move specifically fuck you over, Chloe,” I mumble, “I totally would have contacted you as soon as I officially came to Blackwell.”

_I sound so pathetic. Stop making excuses, Max._

Chloe shakes her head, “I bet you don't use these sad excuses on Mr Jefferson…don't use them on me, Max,” she growls, “At least I wasn't totally alone. I had Rachel.”

_That kind of hurts…even though I deserve it._

Chloe scowls at me before looking away, her face contorting into one of disappointment. After a few tense minutes, Rachel leans over and whispers something in Chloe’s ear. On hearing this, Chloe’s face softens considerably, then looks at me apologetically, “Sorry. That…came out wrong,” she sighs.

I wave away her apology dismissively, “I deserved that.”

Chloe leans her head on her hand, “I still shouldn't have said it.”

_You have every right to be pissed at me, Chloe. I'm the one who should be apologizing._

“I think I can find it in myself to forgive you,” I grin.

Chloe smiles warmly at me, her body relaxing considerably, “Look, I'm happy you're here again…really.”

Just as I’m about to reply…

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

“Keep it fucking down in there!” an angry voice shouts through the door.

Chloe rolls her eyes, “Come make me, Icky Vicky.”

An exasperated sigh seeps through the door, “One of these fucking days, Price,” the voice mutters as footsteps walk away from the door.

Chloe flips off in the direction of the door, then turns back to me, “Anyway, welcome home, Max.”

I smile, “Thanks. It's good to be back.”

It suddenly dawns on me that I’m supposed to be on a job. I glance down at the watch on my wrist and my eyes widen, “Oh shit. I need to go.”

“Duty calls, huh?” Rachel smiles at me, her hazel eyes closing as she rests her head on Chloe’s shoulder, linking their arms together.

“You could say that,” I nod as I get up of the couch and walk over to the door to leave.

Chloe’s voice makes me to stop, “Hey, you forgot the money, idiot,” she grabs her wallet and starts fumbling around inside it.

“It's on the house,” I casually mention.

_That is the least I can do for Chloe after everything._

Chloe smiles, “Thanks, see you around, Max.”

I wave and leave them to it.

* * *

**Day 24**

**Dorm Corridor – 8:37pm**

As we reach the top of the stairs and enter into the corridor, Chloe glances over to me, “You should totally come hang with Rachel and me soon. All you seem to do is work now.”

“I will,” I promise as we reach Rachel’s door.

Chloe gives me a skeptical look, “I’m holding you to that, Caulfield. Rachel and I might need a net or something to pin you down.”

I shake my head and smile, “I bet you guys would as well.”

Chloe grins, closing her eyes and placing her hands behind her head, “You know it.”

She holds out her arms for a hug. I move closer and wrap my arms around her. She squeezes me tight, almost crushing me. After a moment she disengages, lightly punching my arm, “See you later then. We will kidnap you if you don't come see us soon. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”

I rub the spot where Chloe punched my arm, “You’d better.”

Chloe gives me one final grin, then burst unashamedly into Rachel’s room. I hear a chuckle from inside the room, “There’s a thing called knocking, Priceless. What if I’d been changing?”

“Maybe I was kind of hoping you would be,” I heard Chloe say before the door shut completely.

I shake my head before continuing down the corridor to my room with purpose.

_Right, first you need to take a shower and change._

I look at my watch and sigh.

_Shit, I'm late. I'll have to take a rain check on the shower. I'd better drop Victoria a quick text._

I grab my phone from my pocket as I push the door open with my shoulder.

**Max: Be there in five. Sorry I'm running a bit late**

**Victoria: No worries. I got some snacks because I thought you might not have eaten**

**Max: You're a life saver**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, this chapter clears up a few things regarding the background of the story. If you haven’t gathered already, Max does not have her rewind powers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and we shall be back with Max and Victoria next time. Have a great day and see you soon.


	9. You Never Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who would have thought a simple packet of potato chips could have caused so much blushing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I hope you’re all doing good today. I had lots of fun with this chapter.  
> Oh yeah, if you haven’t already seen, there has been an awesome piece of art done by cloudyrainyday on Tumblr inspired by this story. Go give it a check, like it and re-blog it, it’s pretty awesome. It’s under the ‘My Art’ section on their Tumblr.  
> http://cloudyrainyday.tumblr.com/post/134448113051/forgot-to-upload-this-d-first-time-i-actually  
> If anyone else does any art inspired by this story or any others, I would love to see it, and I'm sure everyone reading the story would too. You can just tag me on Tumblr (@nothingyoucanprove) or there is a submit thing on my blog if you prefer.  
> Enjoy.

**Chapter Nine: You Never Know**

**Day 24**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 8:37 pm**

I lay down on my bed staring up at the ceiling and wait for Max to text again. Excitement surges through me at the thought of meeting up with her tonight.

_I really can't wait for this. I can finally get the chance to talk to Max without making a total idiot of myself. Well at least, that's the plan. My track record for this is fairly mixed._

**BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ.**

I almost fall out of bed trying to grab my phone from the bedside table.

_Cool it, Victoria. I know you're excited, but you need to calm down._

I take a deep breath and fumble around with my phone.

**Max: Be there in five. Sorry, I'm running a bit late**

_It’s kind of cute Max feels like she has to text for this._

I feel myself smile as I text back.

**Victoria: No worries. I got some snacks because I thought you might not have eaten**

**Max: You are a life saver :)**

Max’s text makes my heart race in my chest.

_It's a good thing I went out and got some stuff._

I look around my room and frown when I see the mess.

_This place is a dump. I can't let Max see it like this. Right, time to clean up a bit._

I grab a lone sock from the floor, scanning my room for the other one. After a few seconds of futile searching, I shrug and throw it haphazardly in a drawer to sort out later. I walk over to my bed and straighten out the covers, arranging my pillows and shoving the semi-clean clothes on it into my wardrobe. A shy knock draws my attention towards the door, one I recognize almost immediately. It can only be Max.

_Shit, I'm not ready yet. The room is still a mess._

I sigh, running my fingers through my short blonde hair.

_Oh well._

I walk over to the door and open it, revealing a girl with mid-length brown hair and bright blue eyes…Max. She smiles when she sees me.

“Come in,” I grin, motioning for her to come inside. She steps over the threshold and scans the room.

I clear my throat, a bit ashamed at not tidying up more, “Sorry the place is a bit of a mess. I only got a chance to tidy the bed up.”

Max rubs her neck and offers a sad smile, “Well, that's a shame,” her smile turns into a smirk as she leans in closer and whispers in my ear, “because we are about to mess it up. All your hard work, gone to waste.”

**BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ.**

_Huh?_

I shake my head and look around, seeing Max is nowhere to be found. I sigh, rubbing my face with my hand.

_Oh god. I need to stop daydreaming. What is wrong with me?_

I shake the images out of my mind and glance down at my phone, seeing two new messages.

**Sweet T: Good luck later, I know you won't need it. You'll have to tell us all about it later. Don't spare any details ;)**

**Courtney: Go girl!**

_They are always so supportive. Back to business._

I shove my phone back in my pocket and continue my tidying. I gather together the magazines strewn across my table and under my couch, pausing when my eyes fall on a slightly crumpled piece of paper. I pick it up and read.

* * *

**Dear Ms. Chase,**

**Thank you for your submission to the Kroft Gallery. Unfortunately your work is not compatible with our mission statement. We appreciate your effort and wish you success in future endeavours.**

**Best**

**Amanda Kroft**

**Owner, Kroft Gallery, Eugene, OR**

* * *

I grit my teeth as finish reading.

_This is such a bullshit letter. They’ve basically said 'Dear Miss Chase, your photographs are shit, it's probably best if you give up now’. I really want to scrunch it up and throw it away but…I can't…maybe one day. Either that or I can post it to them as a big 'Fuck You' when I make it big time and I will make it, even if it's just to spite them._

I sigh, shaking my head as I pile the magazines neatly on my desk, tucking the letter among them.

_That looks better._

I gather the pens on the desk together and place them in a pot, along with collecting up the loose papers. A used cup catches my eye. As I inspect it closer, I recoil when I see the content.

_I have no idea how long that's been there…and to be honest I don’t really want to know. Where do I put this? Ah, fuck it._

I hide it behind the large magazine pile for now. Near the TV are more books and magazines, which I take and put them on my desk along with the others. I am interrupted by my phone vibrating in my pocket.

**Max: I'm ready when you are**

_Good timing._

* * *

**Max's POV** **\- Max's Room – 8:45pm**

_Finally. Let's get this started._

I grab my phone and text Victoria to tell her I’m ready.

_It'll be nice just to sit down and talk to her. I'm really looking forward to it._

I give myself a quick once over in my mirror and attempt to tame the fly away strands of hair with little success.

**BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ.**

**Victoria: I'm good to go now**

I feel a smile creep onto my face as I exit my room. As I walk forward staring at my phone, I am suddenly pulled backwards and hear stifled laughter, “Max, that's the third time this week you've almost walked into the wall.”

I turn to see Kate standing there, her hand over her mouth to prevent her laughter from escaping. Her face becomes concerned as she studies me, “Max, are you ok? You seem to be a bit out of it.”

_Kate always worries so much. It’s nice to know someone cares at least._

I rub the back of my neck, and smile sheepishly, feeling a bit embarrassed at the whole situation, “Yeah, just…distracted.”

She smiles warmly at me, “I can see that. Just try to avoid any wall related trauma in the future. I can't be here all the time to save you from getting a bruise.”

“Thanks. I will, Kate.”

Kate looks at me skeptically, “Let's just wait and see at our next tea meetup. Are you still free for then?”

_Kate does love her tea. I’m more of a coffee person, but if I get to spend time with Kate then I don’t really mind what we drink._

I nod, “Yep. I'll see you then.”

She grins, “Sure,” then continues walking towards her dorm room. I shove my phone into my pocket and almost run into the wall again.

_Whoa, slow down there, cowboy._

As soon as I reach Victoria’s door, I start to feel nervous and my throat becomes surprisingly dry.

_Come on, Max. There is no need to feel nervous. You're fine. Just enjoy yourself._

I take a deep breath to calm myself and hesitantly knock on Victoria’s door. I hear shuffled footsteps from behind the door and it is pushed open to reveal Victoria. She’s wearing her usual black cardigan thing, that she has informed me is actually a cashmere.

_I thought she was going to kill me when I didn’t know the proper name._

She beams at me and draws me into a hug, “Hi, Max.”

I wrap my arms around her and give her a gentle squeeze, “Hey.”

We break apart and she motions for me to enter, “Come on in. Take a seat.”

I enter Victoria’s room and perch myself on her couch. She grabs a bag from her desk and eagerly comes over to the couch, sitting beside me, “Here are the snacks I got. I thought you might be hungry.”

On cue, my stomach growls angrily. My stomach’s protests cause Victoria to burst into laughter and I feel my cheeks heat up, “I suppose I am.”

She hands me the bag, “Take your pick.”

I open up the bag to find a wide variety of snacks, both sweet and savory.

_Wowser, this selection even rivals the ones Chloe and I had at our sleepovers, and that’s saying something._

I look over to Victoria and beam, “You sure know how to please a girl.”

Victoria smiles, her entire face softening and her eyes losing their usual taunting edge, now replaced with something I can’t quite place. Whatever it is makes my heart beat a little faster.

“I do my best. I wasn't quite sure what you liked, so I just thought I'd get a big selection.”

* * *

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 7:50pm**

I stare at my phone, counting down the minutes until Max comes back. As I sit there on my couch, irritation begins to build up at how slowly the time is passing.

_I guess I could go get some snacks or something to pass the time. She probably hasn't had a chance to eat if she's been working._

I start typing a message on my phone.

**Victoria: Taylor, get your ass here right now. Bring Courtney**

**Sweet T: What's going on?**

**Victoria: Don't ask questions. Just move it**

* * *

**Supermarket – 8:00pm**

We wander down the aisles of the store, Courtney pushing the cart around while Taylor locates the snacks. When we finally reach the right aisles, Taylor examines the various snacks. Her face scrunches up a bit in thought, then she turns to me, “What does she like?”

_Wait, what **does** she like? I don't know. I'm not fucking psychic. _

My face falls as I realize I have no clue, “I don't know. How am I supposed to know that?”

Taylor shrugs, “I thought you might have asked her.”

“Asked her? ASKED HER?” I shout out in frustration, several pairs of eyes glancing in my direction.

I rub my face with my hand as Taylor and Courtney exchange brief glances. Taylor clears her throat and hesitantly replies, “Uh…yes?”

“Why didn't I ask her? I am so fucking stupid,” I mumble into my hand.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and look up to see Courtney, “You could still ask her,” she suggests.

_But I wanted it to be a surprise and I would look like a totally weirdo for asking. Besides, she probably won’t answer in time._

I scan the aisle, seeing all the snacks lining the shelves.

“Fuck it,” I rush over to the nearest shelf, pulling the cart out of Courtney’s clutches, and sweep some snacks into the cart.

“Just grab a bit of everything,” I demand at Taylor and Courtney as I run to the next shelf, who are both stood there staring at me as if I’m crazy.

I turn back and motion them towards the shelves, “What are you waiting for? Come help me.”

* * *

**Max's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 8:48 pm**

I smile appreciatively, “Well, thank you.”

Victoria looks down at the floor, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks, “No problem.”

I reach into the bag and grab some potato chips. I open the packet and place a few in my mouth, chewing noisily.

_Dog, I needed this. When was the last time I even ate something today?_

As I eat, Victoria leans back in the couch and places her hands in her lap. She glances over at me every now and then, a small smile visible on her face. I feel a bit uncomfortable being the only one eating, so I hold out the potato chip bag to her, “Want one?”

Victoria's eyebrows raise slightly at my question. If it were Chloe in this situation, she’d have probably grabbed the whole bag and downed it without a second thought, which is why I never offer her anything until I’m sure I’ve had enough myself. She’s kind of like a dog, sitting right up close to someone’s leg with a pitiful expression on her face just waiting for the opportunity to snaffle up any food, whether it’s offered or stolen. Unlike Chloe, Victoria seems to be having some reservations.

_Maybe she doesn’t like eating in front of other people she doesn’t know that well. Maybe I should make a joke out of it, then she won’t feel as awkward about this or feel like she has to accept._

I take out a crisp and teasingly wave it around, “Come on. You know you want to,” I grin, raising one eyebrow suggestively, “I'll feed you, if you like.”

Her cheeks turn bright red, something I wasn’t expecting. I thought she’d call me an idiot or something and then brush me off at most. Just as I’m about to tell her I was joking, she whispers, “Ok.”

My eyes widen, uncertain if I’ve heard her right. When I look at her face, there is little doubt that I heard her correctly.

_Wowser. I did not expect her to say that. I meant it as a joke, but…_

I swallow hard, trying to wet my incredibly dry throat. Victoria looks over to me, her eyes holding an uncertain glint to them as she tries to gauge my reaction.

_I have been spending way too much time around Chloe. I keep saying these kind of things without thinking about it._

My eyes hesitantly meet hers, a sense of anticipation filling the air between us. We stare at one another for the longest time, my heart rate increasing at the intensity of Victoria’s gaze.

_I guess I don't really mind though._

I take the chip in my hand and slowly move it towards Victoria’s mouth, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm the erratic beating of my heart.

_Ok, so we are doing this. Focus, Max. Don’t poke her in the eye with it or anything._

Victoria opens her mouth and takes the chip between her teeth, then chews it. I sigh in relief at not blinding her and go to take my hand away, but Victoria grabs hold of it before I can move. I raise my eyebrow in confusion, wondering what she is doing.

“Ah, ah. I'm not done yet,” she softly comments, her gaze not leaving mine for even a second.

_Not…not done? What?_

She guides my hand towards her face, closing her eyes and slowly runs her tongue along my finger. I sit there stunned as she places it in her mouth, her teeth grazing my finger as she sucks on it. After a moment, she removes my index finger from her mouth, giving it a small kiss before opening her eyes again, still holding onto my hand. She leans in close, her warm breath tickling my ear as she whispers, “Now, I'm done. The flavoring is the best part after all.”

_I…she…what…?_

I try to form a coherent sentence, but can only manage, “Uh…” before laughing nervously.

_Is it just me, or is it warm all of a sudden?_

I can feel my cheeks burning from this oddly intimate encounter.

_Is this one of those moments? I am so clueless with this stuff._

I lick my lips as I glance at Victoria. Her eyes are piercing mine with an intensity I have never experienced before. It’s enough to send shivers down my spine.

_Maybe she just really likes salt and vinegar chip flavouring._

A surge of impulsiveness flows through my body as a thought crosses my mind. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t dare even attempt this, but something tells me that given the atmosphere, this just feels like the right move. I had never been one for these kinds of flirting games…if that’s what this is, but hanging around Chloe and Rachel had prepared me a bit for these kinds of situations.

_Be bold, Max. Channel your inner Chloe Price._

I take a deep breath and, before the moment has a chance to pass, “Y…you know, there…there's more on my lips,” I nervously stutter.

While the words hadn’t come out as confidently as I had intended, they still had the desired effect. Victoria’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped in momentary shock. I can’t help but smirk at this reaction.

_Lost for words are we, Victoria? It makes a nice change for it not to be me._

The look of shock is soon gone from her face, replaced with a mixture of joy and yearning as she leans in and presses her mouth on mine. Her eyes are open, gazing into mine as she runs her tongue along my lips, causing me to shudder from the sensation. When I don’t move away, she presses her lips more firmly against mine, gently teasing my bottom lip with her teeth before pulling away. Her eyes flash with amusement as she examines my astonished expression, “There. Any more I missed?”

“W…wowser,” is all I can manage to say right now, my mind whirring with the image of what just happened.

Victoria laughs, “Who even says that anymore?” she wipes a tear from her eye.

“I do,” I defend defiantly.

Victoria nudges me, “Ha, ha. You’re probably the only one, but that’s part of your hipster charm.”

I blush slightly, but grin all the same, “Oh come on, it's not like you haven't done or said anything embarrassing before.”

“Well, there might be one thing,” she mutters as she fidgets uncomfortably, “You know I ordered all that pizza?”

I nod, “It’s not like I could forget. You pretty much ordered from the 2 Whales every day.”

She looks away slightly to hide her cheeks pink as she nervously wrings her hands, “I…I don't even like pizza.”

The words don’t seem to register with me. It just doesn’t make any sense.

_What? Then why…?_

“Well, why did you order it then?” I question confusedly, unable to come up with some sort of explanation.

She sighs and shuffles on the couch. Her eyes turn to me, her uncertainty and embarrassment clearly showing, “So…so I could get a chance to talk to you.”

* * *

**Victoria's POV**

Max stares blankly at me, her blue eyes intensely piercing mine.

_Now I've done it. She will definitely think I’m a weirdo now._

Her brow furrows in confusion as she thinks over what I just confessed to her. After a few tense seconds, she tilts her head curiously at me, “Wait, so you ordered all that pizza, but you don't like it?”

I sigh, mentally kicking myself.

_It sounds crazy when said out loud._

My eyes become glued to the floor, “I just…just wanted to see you and didn’t know what else to do. It sounds stupid, but…” I am interrupted when a hand is placed on my arm.

When I look up I see Max’s face, full of warmth and mild embarrassment, “Don't get me wrong, it's kind of flattering.”

“Really?” I ask, a little skeptical of Max’s words.

Max’s earnest eyes meet mine, “Yep. It sure is,” her voice is lower and huskier than normal, her lips parted slightly. She bites her bottom lip as her eyes remain fully focused on mine, almost pleading with me. She hesitantly leans in and presses her lips against mine. It was only a fleeting kiss, but nevertheless my body quivered from her light touch. When she pulls away she breathes, “Definitely.”

_She is so full of surprises._

She clears her throat, sitting back in the couch and takes another chip from the packet. I watch her as she brings it to her mouth, her lips parting slightly.

“Maybe…maybe I can learn to like pizza,” I comment as offhandedly as I can to hide my obvious embarrassment, “It…it can't be all that bad. It gave me you after all.”

On hearing this, Max nearly chokes on the chip. I quickly move to pat her on the back. When she finally manages to compose herself, she shakes her head and smiles, “Wowser. That was so cheesy. Maybe even more so than the pizza you kept ordering. I commend you for that.”

I smile at her, “I do my best.”

She clears her throat, “That settles it then, one of our meet ups next week will be a pizza night, sound good?”

I offer her a warm smile, “I wouldn't miss it.”

Max looks at her watch, then sighs dejectedly, “I'd probably better be heading off now, as much as I’d love to stay here all day.”

She stands up and holds her arms out awkwardly for a hug. I get up and wrap my arms around her tightly, the faint lingering scent of salt and vinegar causing my lip to quirk upwards into a smile.

Max reluctantly pulls away, “I'll see you tomorrow at the usual time, yeah?”

“It's a date,” I reply without giving it much thought. As soon as the words leave my lips, I realize how clingy that must have sounded.

_Shit, did I really just say that?_

“Wait…I mean…what I was trying to say was…” I begin to backtrack, but Max’s laughter interrupts my mundane rambling.

“Don't worry so much,” she smirks, “Besides, you never know,” with that she exits my room, leaving me standing there completely stunned.

_Did…did Max just…?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at Victoria, being all bold, or maybe she just really likes salt and vinegar crisp flavouring? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. Oh, Max. You tease.  
> See you next chapter.


	10. Is This Too Cheesy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Victoria are acting strange and Rachel is going to get to the bottom of this mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this chapter was extremely satisfying for me to write, and you shall see why by the end of it. The suspense… Max is such an adorkable human being.
> 
> We have reached just over 200 kudos, which is fucking awesome. The idea is an awesome one, bravo dannysgreenpants. I salute you, you ingenious human being.  
> If you have not already, I urge you to show your support and go tell them how awesome the Maximum Victory Pizza Delivery AU idea is on Tumblr or even in the comments. For without the idea, this story would never have been written. Trust me, you can never offer enough praise. Unique and interesting ideas are very hard to come by, so we should treasure them when they come.  
> Enjoy.

**Chapter Ten: Is This Too Cheesy?**

**Day 25**

**Rachel's POV** **\- Photography Classroom – 3:54 pm**

I stare out of the window in an attempt to alleviate my boredom, my hand propped on my chin.

_I can't wait for this class to be over._

Birds lazily swoop in the sky, people lay there daydreaming in the sun, the breeze causing leaves to dance in the air.

 _It's so peaceful and beautiful out there._ _It's a shame I'm stuck in here. I’m almost jealous of everyone outside._

I can see Chloe out there hanging with Justin and the other skateboarders as usual when I’m in class. She confidently rides the skateboard and attempts a tre flip, but ends up on the floor in a heap instead. I stifle a laugh when she stands up quickly, looking pissed. The others laugh at her, as she puts Justin in a headlock and ruffles his hair. He writhes around trying to escape, however is unsuccessful.

_There is never a dull moment when Chloe is around._

I pout as I look at them having fun.

_I want to go outside and play. It's not fair. Maybe I should have skipped class._

Mark keeps not-so-subtly leering at me every few seconds as always.

_I wish he would quit it so I can window watch in peace and see my blue haired babe in action._

I sigh resignedly and move my gaze back to inside the classroom again, ready to be bored out of my mind when something unexpected catches my interest. My eyes settle on Victoria who, instead of staring at Mark with her usual ass kissing motives, is gazing dreamily at the very last person I would have ever imagine…Max Caulfield. She isn’t adopting her usual ‘I will ruin your life if you so much as even look at me’ glare, the one usually reserved for me. She looks…content, something I never would have thought possible from Victoria. Her expression is much softer and her usual condescending smirk has transformed into a genuine smile.

_Odd, she’s usually hanging on Mark’s every pretentious word._

My attention is now fully focused on this surreal display. Victoria grabs her phone and types away at the screen. A few seconds later, Max’s phone moves slightly on her desk from the vibrations. Max glances over to Mark to check he’s not looking and grabs it, shoving her hands under her desk as her eyes roam over the screen. A goofy smile slowly forms on her face as she reads the text. She glances over to Victoria, who grins just as widely back.

_Hmm…_

Max normally looks so nervous and worried, especially around confrontational people like Victoria, but now she is so relaxed and, dare I say it, happy.

_Me thinks some juicy gossip is afoot._

A voice from beside me booms, sounding irritated, “Max, are you even paying attention?”

Max snaps her head up to face Mark. One seeing his annoyed expression, she rubs the back of her neck, “Uh…y…yeah.”

He gives her a skeptical look and crosses his arms, “Well then, can you answer the question?”

Max almost seems to merge with her seat at this point, desperately trying to avoid this awkward situation.

_Poor Max. She looks so helpless. I guess I could bail her out._

Mark is stood beside my desk, his back facing me. I casually stretch out my leg and brush my foot along his leg. He immediately spins round, his brown eyes falling on me. I sit there, absentmindedly inspecting my nails. After a moment, I look up at him innocently, tilting my head to one side in a questioning manner, “Something wrong, Mark?”

His face scrunches up in confusion for a brief moment, then he smiles at me, “No, not at all.”

I glance back over to Victoria, expecting to see the usual look of disgust and hatred I get from even just looking at Mark Jefferson, but am surprised when it doesn’t happen. Victoria continues to stare at Max, a serene smile plastered on her face.

_Ok…that’s kind of creepy._

Max gives me an appreciative smile, to which I wink in response. She then goes back to staring at Victoria, her hand propped on her chin as a slight smile forms on her lips. The bell rings, signalling for the end of class and everyone begins to hurriedly pack away. Mark continues talking, not that anyone is really paying attention. Eventually, he dismisses us all. I shove all my things into my bag and jump out of my seat.

_Finally, I'm coming for you, Priceless. You owe me dinner and don’t you go thinking that I’ve forgotten that fact._

Just as I’m about to exit the room, a voice from behind makes me stop, “Rachel,” I glance back over my shoulder, seeing Mark staring at me, “I have something important I want to discuss with you. Are you free now?”

I brush my long blonde hair over my shoulder, looking on disinterestedly, “Sorry, I'm busy right now. Maybe another time.”

His brown eyes briefly show annoyance at my refusal, but this is soon gone, “Sure,” he smiles at me, however it seems a bit forced, the corner of his mouth twitching. Before he says anything else, I exit the classroom and begin walking down the hallway.

 _Creep_.

I can hear footsteps behind me and a hand is placed firmly on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.

_God, can't he leave me alone._

I turn around ready to tear into Mark only to see Max standing there, panting lightly with a slight flush on her cheeks.

“Hey, Max,” I grin, turning round to face her properly.

She offers me a small grateful smile, “Thanks Rachel. You really saved me there. I owe you one.”

“Be careful what you offer, Max,” I tease lightly as I wink at her.

She sighs, the flush on her cheek deepening, “You are just as bad as Chloe.”

“I resent that remark, I am ten times worse than Chloe thank you very much.”

Max playfully rolls her eyes at me, then takes on a more serious expression, “I’m sorry you had to do that. I know Mr Jefferson already bothers you a lot as it is…”

I wave away Max’s apologetic rambling, “It’s fine. That guy is such a perv. I only have to breath around him and he takes it as a sign. It’ll make it no worse than it usually is.”

Concern crosses Max’s freckled face, “Shouldn’t you tell someone about him? I mean, he shouldn’t be making advances on students.”

I begin to roar with laughter, “‘Making advances’, oh Max you never fail to amuse me. Never change,” I start to fiddle around with the blue feather earring dangling from my left ear, “Besides, it’s fun fucking around with his head,” I place my hand on her shoulder, “Look, I promise if he actually starts trying to make a move, then I’ll go tell someone, ok?”

Max doesn’t seem convinced, but nods anyway.

_It’s cute how much she worries._

“Anyway…talking about making advances…” I smirk, “I’m glad Victoria doesn’t have her sights set on him anymore.”

Max laughs nervously and rubs her neck, refusing to meet my interrogative gaze, “What…what makes you say that?”

_Max, you guys are hardly subtle._

I twirl a strand of my hair around my finger and offer her a coaxing lop-sided smile, “Well, she certainly wasn't staring at him with rapt attention like she usually does. In fact, she seems to have turned them…elsewhere.”

Max bites her lip, worrying it between her teeth, “Uh…” she mumbles, seemingly searching for a reasonable excuse, but coming up blank.

_I sense a story here, one I’m sure I’ll enjoy hearing._

I waggle my finger at her, “Got to do better than that to fool me, Max. I want to hear all the juicy gossip. Are you free now?”

Max sighs resignedly, “Yeah. It'd probably be a good idea to get Chloe too. I don't know if I'll have the energy or will to repeat the story.”

I take my phone out and text Chloe.

**Rachel: Priceless, get your ass to my room now**

**Priceless: Oh, I like it when you're bossy**

**Rachel: Get your mind out of the gutter. It's important**

**Priceless: Be there in 5**

“Ok, Max,” I say as I grab onto her arm, “Let's go.”

* * *

**Rachel's Room – 4:05pm**

I open the door to my room and am hit with a strong herbal smell. Max’s nose wrinkles, still unused to the smell even after all the time she’s spent in my room. I stride over to my window and open it as wide as it’ll go and motion towards my bed, “Have a seat, Max.”

She takes me up on my offer, perching herself on my bed, quickly joined by me. As soon as we’ve gotten settled, the door bursts open revealing Chloe standing there with an impish grin.

_She really does have no sense of privacy._

“It is I…”

She pauses when she sees Max sat on the bed next to me, then looks over to me with excitement, “You managed to finally trap her. I commend you, Rachel.”

I grab onto Max’s hand and lean my face close to hers, “Oh Chloe, you caught us in the act. I was going to tell you, but Max and I are…are…totally in love,” I proclaim dramatically, trying not to give in to laughter, “I was just about to profess my undying love for her, right Max?”

Max blushes at my teasing and looks away, making both Chloe and myself chuckle.

_She sure is easy to tease._

“You could’ve at least invited me,” Chloe whines, leaning against my doorframe, “I would never turn down the chance to see some girl on girl action,” she winks, raising her eyebrows suggestively and smirking.

“Kn…knock it off,” Max stutters as she lightly pushes my shoulder.

Chloe suddenly bounds over with all the grace of a blind elephant and launches herself onto my bed, almost catapulting Max off of the bed. She manages to grab onto the bed post just in time and steady herself. She squints her eyes accusingly at Chloe, who is now lounging across the entire bed, pushing both Max and I against the wall.

“Dog, Chloe. I would like to avoid head trauma if it's all the same to you,” she sighs, trying to sound annoyed but failing.

Chloe sits up and ruffles Max's hair enthusiastically, much to Max’s disapproval. She tries to bat Chloe’s hand away, “Hey, get off.”

Chloe grins, relenting a bit, “I'm just hella excited, Max. I almost forgot what you looked like. It’s been so long.”

Max rolls her eyes, but can’t keep the smile off her face, “Chloe, it's literally been a day since you last saw me.”

Chloe pouts and crosses her arms, “Yeah, but that was only for like ten minutes. I need my Max time.”

She latches onto Max, wrapping her arms and legs around her. Max tries to half-heartedly push her off with little success. After a few attempts she gives up, looking at her in exasperation. Chloe flashed the infamous Price puppy dog eyes, causing Max to giggles and submit to Chloe’s shenanigans.

_It's great to see Chloe and Max in action. They really do love each other. If Max hadn't moved away at such a bad time, they could have easily been a couple. I have no doubt about that. Unfortunately, life doesn't always work out as planned._

“Sorry to interrupt you guys, but we have some important business to discuss,” I bring the conversation back round to the reason for this meeting.

Chloe untangles herself from Max, raising an eyebrow curiously, “What is it?”

I gently pat Max on the back and grin, “Our little Maxie here has been flirting with danger and fraternising with the enemy.”

Chloe seems confused by my accusations, Max on the other hand fidgets awkwardly. I turn to her, ready to get the information out of her one way or another, “So, what's going on with you and Victoria, huh?”

Max offers me a sheepish smile, “What…whatever do you mean?”

_Are you really going to try and deny this, Max? Nothing escapes my expert eye._

I shake my head, smiling at Max’s attempts to play dumb, “Oh, come on. I saw the heart eyes and kissy faces you two were making at each other. Don't you even dare try to deny it. It was sickeningly cute and kind of looked weird on Victoria. That look is going to haunt me forever.”

Max shuffles uncomfortably as both Chloe and I stare at her, waiting for an explanation. Finally, she shrugs and quietly mumbles, “Well, we are k…kind of seeing each other.”

Even though I had figured it would be something like this, I am still shocked to hear it coming from Max’s mouth. I glance over to Chloe, who looks like she’s been punched in the gut. Her expression is almost disbelieving, “Are you serious?” she finally manages to choke out.

Max nods shyly, her cheeks burning. Chloe grins widely at Max, then starts to chuckle, “Damn, Max. I didn't think anyone would ever be able to tame the Queen Bitch of Blackwell. I'm hella impressed.”

_It really is impressive. I wasn’t even certain if Victoria had it in her to not be a colossal bitch 24/7. She must have some redeeming qualities if Max is into her._

I pat Max on the back, “Way to go, Max. Maybe I need to start getting some tips from you on how to bag all the hot babes.”

Chloe nudges me, “Hey, you got one right here,” she pouts.

I kiss Chloe on the cheek, “That I do…”, then I wink at Max, “but one more never hurts, right Max?”

Chloe exhales deeply, trying to wrap her head around this weird turn of events, “They are going to write songs and stories about this, Max. I seriously never thought I would see the day. Ok, I have to ask you, how the hell you did you manage it?”

Max plays with the bands on her wrist, “As you can probably tell, it wasn't me who made the first move.”

She explains to us from the beginning of this bizarre situation. She tells us about how Victoria kept ordering pizza, how she invited her into her room to watch a movie, how she randomly kissed her out of nowhere for a 'tip', how she bumped into her at Blackwell and how they ended up kind of going out, along with the most recent chip incident.

“Damn, Victoria has some game,” Chloe smirks, “I’m also appreciating your daring side, Max. My charming ways are obviously rubbing off on you.”

Max strokes her chin, “Now you mention it…I'm so used to saying stuff like that as a joke with you that I didn't think.”

Chloe clutches at her chest, “A joke, you wound me,” she smirks, “Seriously though, it all turned out well enough, right?”

Max smiles distractedly, staring out of the window for a moment, “I guess it did.”

Chloe rubs her hands together and grins mischievously, “So, we have Icky Vicky in the palm of our hands.”

Max shakes her head, suppressing a smile at Chloe’s eagerness to have Victoria Chase at her mercy, “Firstly, if anyone does, it's me. Secondly, I do actually want to make her happy.”

Chloe holds up her hands in defeat, looking a bit disappointed with Max’s refusal, “Fine, whatevs. You're the one with the ‘power’ over her.”

I give Max an inquisitive look, “So Casanova, where do you see this going?”

“Yeah, is this a booty call kind of thing?” Chloe adds, “I see why you would go for that. While Ms. Chase is a total bitch, she sure is a looker. Hell, I’d probably go for it if I had the chance,” she pauses, smiling at me, “and didn’t already have Rach of course.”

Max blushes at Chloe’s crude wording, “No…it’s not that. Well at least I don’t think it’s like that anyway. I really want to make something of it, you know? I wanted to wait and see if I felt the same, because everything happened so fast before. Now…” Max bites her lip, “now I…I think I’m ready to take the next step and make it official.”

Chloe smirks smugly, “Aw, our little Max is all grown up. It brings a tear to my eyes,” she says as she gives Max a bone crushing hug, one I join in on.

“Can't breathe…” Max chokes.

We let go of her, laughing heartily. I wipe a tear from my eye and place a hand on Max’s arm, “Victoria and I might not see eye to eye.”

“Understatement of the year,” Chloe scoffs.

I push her hard, making her fall off the bed on her ass. She gets up, rubbing her thigh, “Ouch. Was that necessary?”

“I think so,” I smirk.

Chloe crawls back onto the bed like a dog with its tail between its legs, “You are so evil,” she huddles up close to Max, “save me from her, Max.”

“There is no escape my dear, only complete resignation,” I cackle, then turn back to Max, “Anyway, we might not see eye to eye, but I don't hate her. She does really care about her friends and I can respect that. Sure, she is a huge bitch to everyone else, but she is at least loyal to those who make the effort. She just needs someone to guide her.”

Chloe takes hold of Max's hand and looks at her earnestly, “Super Max, make Victoria see the light. Deliver us from her reign of terror,” her face breaking out into a toothy grin.

Max nudges her, “Knock it off, Chloe.”

“Hey,” Chloe protests, clutching on to Max with a vice-like grip, “I’ve already been pushed of the bed once. I don’t need it to happen again.”

I smile, “Seriously though, I'm glad for you guys. It can be our little secret for now. Besides, as long as you two are happy, then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.”

_Max deserves to be happy. So does Victoria._

Chloe cracks her knuckles, “Max, you know, if anyone says anything about it, we'll beat them up. So don't worry.”

Max stares at Chloe in amusement, “To be fair, you guys are more likely to tease me than anyone else.”

Chloe puts an arm around her, “I suppose that is true, Maxi-pad.”

I shuffle closer to Max, placing a hand on her knee, “We only do it because we love you.”

“Sure you do,” Max comments sarcastically.

Chloe clutches at her chest, an expression of mock hurt on her face, “That was cruel, Max.”

Max's phone buzzes in her pocket. She immediately takes it out and smiles, “It's Victoria.”

Chloe glances at me, “Booty call” she coughs, Max retorting by gently tapping her around the head, “Ouch.”

Max puts the phone up to her ear, “Hey Victoria…? Yeah, sure I can come over tonight.”

Chloe chuckles, earning her a glare from Max, “Yep…sure…ok…see you then,” she ends the call and stands up from the bed, “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some preparations to make.”

“Catch you later,” Chloe calls after her. Max waves us off as she leaves the room.

Chloe flops back down on my bed, placing her head in my lap and staring up at the ceiling, “Man, this is too trippy. Are you sure we’re both not hella high right now?”

I start playing with Chloe’s faded blue locks, “I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.”

* * *

**Max's POV** **\- Max's Room – 6:46 pm**

I stand in the middle of my room, inspecting the surprisingly clean floor. All the pieces of paper and books that were once strewn everywhere are now all neatly stacked on one of my shelves, the semi-clean clothing back in the wardrobe and used glasses stashed away to be washed later. I wipe my brow with my sleeve and nod.

_There, everything is ready._

I hear a confident knock at the door and walk over to open it, revealing Victoria standing there. I step aside to let her in, “Come in.”

Victoria smiles and enters my room, perching herself on my bed. I close my door and join her, kicking a dirty sock I missed under my bed.

_I can't wait for this._

“Are you excited for pizza?” I ask as I get comfortable.

“Yes,” Victoria nods as she slowly takes my hand, interlacing our fingers, “I am always excited to spend time with you.”

_Every small touch sends shivers down my spine._

“Me too.”

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK**

“That must be the pizza, I'll go get it,” I say as I reluctantly untangle our fingers and make my way over to the door.

When I open it, Dana stands there with the pizza box in her hand. She grins at me, “Hey, Max,” then she peers into my room and waves, a smug grin forming on her lips, “Hey, Victoria.”

Victoria brow furrows in confusion as she looks at Dana, “Wait, why is Dana delivering it?”

I turn to her, rubbing the back of my neck, “She works at 2 Whales as well. I…thought you knew.”

Victoria's eyes widen, “She…she what?!”

“Well, she knows now,” Dana smirks as she hands me the pizza box in exchange for the money, “I shall leave you with Max, the…oh how did you put it…stupid, clumsy delivery girl with beautiful doe-like eyes and dumb fucking adorable freckles.”

Victoria stares in disbelief at Dana, “Wait you…you saw that?”

Dana nods and points her thumb to herself, “Yeah, I'm the person who sorts out all the online orders.”

Victoria’s expression turns to one of horror as this knowledge sinks in.

“Look, don't worry,” Dana sighs as she waves her hand dismissively, “I have been sworn to secrecy by Max. Besides,” she grins, “I think it's pretty cute and Max seems happy enough, so it's all good with me.”

Victoria blushes at Dana’s words, muttering to herself as Dana pulls me in for a brief hug, “Have fun,” she calls back as she walks down the corridor.

I close the door and bring the pizza over to my bed. Victoria looks up at me, “How many other people know?”

I clear my throat, “Well, Rachel saw us staring and smiling at each other this afternoon in class, so she kind of put two and two together. Chloe also knows. Don't worry, I've told them to behave themselves. I guess Taylor and Courtney know.”

Victoria nods, “So long as it’s just close friends, then it’s fine.”

“Yeah,” I sigh, “I don’t think we’re quite ready to take centre stage in Blackwell gossip.”

I take the pizza box and place it in the space between us, rubbing my hands together

_I am so excited for this. I hope it has the desired effect. How will she react?_

“Right, let's get this pizza night underway,” I say as I pick up the box, trying hard to suppress the torrent of nerves I’m suddenly overwhelmed with.

_Breathe, Max. Don’t drop the pizza. It’ll kind of ruin everything._

“Care to do the honours, my lady?” I quip as I offer her the pizza box with shaking hands.

Victoria laughs as she takes the box from me, “My lady?”

I smirk, “Chivalry isn't dead.”

She shakes her head and smiles at me, “Not when you're around.”

My heart races in anticipation as she places her fingers on the lid of the box, ready to open it.

_Everything will work out just fine._

As Victoria opens the box, she gasps and places her hand over her mouth. She looks over to me incredulously, “Max…” her face erupts into a huge grin, her eyes sparling with joy. She launches herself at me, hugging me tightly, “Yes, always yes.”

A single question is written on the pizza box lid.

**Will you be my girlfriend, or is this too cheesy?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw a picture of someone who had actually written that on a pizza box and thought that it was a very Max thing to do.  
> Now that Rachel and Chloe know, we are in for some hilarious moments (at least, that’s the plan). I try to add humour where I can, it is what I live for. Maybe it makes everyone groan in pain because it’s so bad. If so I apologise. I can’t help it, it’s a curse. You’re just luck some of the jokes don’t ever make it to the page.  
> Hopefully it makes you smile, laugh or spit out drinks, that’s the aim. We need to spread happiness wherever we can. That’s why I’m writing the story after all.  
> Thanks to a lion who just needs some love for the idea of Max and Victoria having a pizza night in order to get Victoria to try to like pizza and for Dana to delivery it and teasing Victoria (I think that was the idea).  
> Have an awesome day and see you next time.


	11. Steal Yo Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria decides to tell Nathan about her and Max's relationship, but things don't go as smoothly as she plan. How will Nathan react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don’t read anything else before, have an awesome Christmas. If there are any other significant holidays around this time you celebrate, then have a good one. I think Hanukkah has already come and gone (I’m like a week late I think, but whatever), but I hope it was good for ya.  
> Enjoy.

**Chapter Eleven: Steal Yo Girl**

**Day 26**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 6:56 pm**

I'm sat on the couch in my room, flicking through the channels on my TV. I’m not really paying much attention to them, my mind too preoccupied with someone in particular…Max Caulfield.

_I can't believe what happened yesterday. Max is such a dork. Only she could do something like that._

I feel myself smile involuntarily at the memory and sigh contently, laying down on the couch. I take my phone and look at the texts Taylor and Courtney sent me last night.

**Victoria: Guys, Max asked me to be her girlfriend in the dorkiest way, look**

There is a picture of the pizza box with Max’s message visible in between us as we sit on my bed, our feet dangling over the edge. Max leaned over and kissed my check at the last second, causing my smile to widen considerably. There is a twinkle in my eyes that I haven’t seen in a long time, one I wasn’t even sure I could have anymore. My eyes wander over to Max, who looks equally as happy as me.

_The first of many photos…_

**Sweet T: Oh my god. That is so fucking cute. You need to hold onto that girl Victoria. You don't get them like that very often**

**Courtney: Damn, now I'm jealous. Maybe I'll be stealing Max away from you**

**Victoria: Don't you dare**

**Courtney: I can't make any promises ;)**

**Sweet T: Now you mention it…**

**Victoria: Not you too, Taylor**

**Sweet T: What? Afraid I'm going to steal yo girl?**

**Victoria: You guys are insufferable**

**Sweet T: That's why you love us**

A wide grin forms on my face as I read over the texts they sent me.

_There is no stopping those two._

I scroll down and see my conversation with Nathan.

_I should tell Nathan. I bet he would be happy for me._

**Victoria: Hey. I have some exciting news to tell you. Are you free?**

**Nate: Always for you. You can come now if you want. I've only just woken up**

I sigh, shaking my head and suppressing a smile.

_What else did I expect?_

**Victoria: I'll be over in a minute**

I put my phone in my pocket and head out of the door. The hallway is surprisingly quiet as I walk down it, the usual music blaring from Dana’s room absent.

_She must be at work, like Max is right now._

As I make my way down the stairs to the boy’s dorm, I feel a smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

_It seems so surreal. I can't believe we are officially together now._

As I reach the bottom of the stairs, a boy with long brown hair strolls out of the boy’s dorm hallway. Max has told me a lot about Warren Graham, mostly good things. There is however one thing about him that really sets my teeth on edge…he keeps trying to hit on Max. He’s relentless, constantly asking her to go out to drive ins and other cliché romantic settings. Max’s brick like density meant that she hadn’t noticed until recently, either that or she ignored it on purpose.

_I hope he backs off soon, otherwise I’m going to have to step in. I don’t like the thought of him making her uncomfortable._

I can’t help but glare at Warren as he passes, tempted to tell him about Max and I, but I hold my tongue.

_I don’t want to make things awkward for Max. If she needs my help with him, she’ll ask._

He seems a bit confused at the sudden show of hostility as he leaves the dorm building. I continue on into the boy’s dorm, my nose wrinkling at the weird mixture of odors. I glance at some of the posters and fliers covering the walls, most have been drawn on. I turn left at the end of the corridor and find Nathan’s room. I knock on the door and hear shuffling from the other side. The door opens to show Nathan standing there beaming, still in his pajamas, his blonde hair all over the place.

_He is such a slob. Not that I would have him any other way._

He steps aside to let me in, “I can't wait to hear this news.”

I enter his room and sit down on his bed. Nathan closes the door and joins me, grabbing the packet of potato chips that are on his bed and holds out the bag to me.

“Want one?”

My mind flashes back to the other night with Max and my cheeks flush. Nathan’s expression turns to one of concern, “Ok, what's going on? You look really red. Are you sick?” his eyes widen in worry as he jumps off his bed and begins to rummage around in his drawers, “Hold on, I have some flu stuff somewhere.”

_He always gets like this. Sometimes it gets a bit annoying, most of the time its endearing._

“Nate, I'm not ill.”

He pauses and looks over his shoulder at me, “Oh, sorry. I got carried away,” he apologizes, closing his drawer and coming back over to sit beside me, “So what’s up?”

I clear my throat, suddenly nervous about telling him. I’ve known Nathan a long time, so I’m sure he’ll be supportive…but there is that slight flicker of doubt hanging over me.

_Should I just come out with it? Or should I lead him in gently? I suck at this._

“Well…” I begin, but am interrupted by a knock at the door.

Nathan glances over to the door, then back at me with an apologetic smile, “Sorry, that’s my food. I’ll be back in just a sec,” he stands up and makes his way over to the door. When he opens it his body language changes, taking on a confrontational stance, “Oh look who we have here,” he sneers, his voice mocking. He turns to me, “Yo, Victoria. Look what the cat dragged in.”

I get up off the bed and sigh, “You had better have a good reason for…”

My unfinished sentence hangs in the air as I see a girl with mid-length brown hair and bright blue eyes…it’s Max.

Nathan leans against the doorframe, “I'm surprised you've got a job. It kind of ruins your hipster persona, don't you think?”

Max just stands there, not saying a word and looks down at her shoes.

I place a hand on Nathan’s arm, gently tugging at his sleeve, “Nathan…”

His face scrunches up in confusion as he turns to me, “What? Aren't you going to torment her? I'd have thought Lamefield would be your ideal target.”

I sigh, rubbing my temples, “That's what I was going to talk to you about,” I meet Max’s gaze and smile, “Can you give us a minute?”

Max returns my smile, making my heart beat a bit faster, “Sure.”

I drag Nathan back into his room and sit him down on his bed. He looks understandably puzzled, “What's going on?”

“Look, Nate, you know that big news I had to tell you?”

He nods, “Yeah.”

I swallow hard, “Well, Max and I are…are…”

Nathan sits there patiently, waiting for me to continue. My cheeks are burning right now as I steady my resolve, “We're dating.”

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise, his mouth gaping open, “Are you serious?”

I nod shyly, “Yeah.”

His mouth twitches, but no words come out. He sits there dazed, getting his head around what I had just told him.

_I think this is the first time I’ve seen him speechless._

“When…how…who…?” he stutters, then takes a deep breath, “How long?”

I rub the back of my neck, “We only just became official yesterday. That's what I wanted to tell you.”

“Wow,” he breathes, an expression of pure bewilderment on his face, “That’s…definitely not what I thought you would say.”

_You're telling me._

I glance over to the door, imagining Max awkwardly shuffling on the other side as she waits. I motion my head towards the door, “Can I go let Max in now?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

I get up and open the door, beckoning Max inside, “You can come in now, Max.”

She worries her lip with her teeth, “You sure?”

I place a hand on her cheek and gently rub it with my thumb, gazing deeply into her worried blue eyes, “I've just told him. It’s fine.”

At my touch, her body relaxes. Her eyes close as she leans into my touch, placing her hand over mine and whispers, “Ok.”

I give her hand a squeeze before we enter back into the room. Max’s eyes dart over to Nathan, the worry in her eyes slowly returning as she stands there awkwardly. The atmosphere is so tense you could cut it with a knife. It’s not that I blame Max for being apprehensive. Nathan does have a bit of a reputation, but deep down he’s a nice guy once you get past the initial hostility. In that way, we are similar.

Nathan pats the space beside him on the bed, “Take a seat Lamefi…I mean, Max.”

Max nods, still seeming a bit anxious about this. I take hold of her hand and guide her over. I sit down next to Nathan in the middle, hoping that Max will feel more comfortable this way.

_I would never let anything happen to her._

Nathan regards Max with an intense scrutinizing stare, one that makes her grip on my hand tighten. He looks from me to Max, then tilts his head curiously, “So…you and Victoria are together, huh?”

Max fidgets, “Yeah,” she mumbles as she shifts the pizza on her lap, “Um…where do you want the pizza? It'll get cold.”

Nathan holds out his hand and Max gives him the pizza. He places it in his lap and opens the lid, the aroma filling his room, “I guess celebrations are in order then,” he states, taking a slice and passing the box over to Max. She tentatively takes a slice and thanks him. He turns to me, “I don't suppose you'll be wanting any.”

_I said I wanted to like it. So why not?_

“I think I will have some,” I announce as I deftly grab a slice before Nathan can take the box away. He stares at me incredulously, “I thought you didn't…” he stops himself, shaking his head, then runs his fingers through his messy blonde strands, “I thought you were shitting me at first…but I guess you guys really are dating. How did it start?”

I sigh, recalling my embarrassing actions up until this point.

_Every time I repeat the story, it seems so ridiculous._

Max squeezes my hand reassuringly, offering me an encouraging smile.

_As embarrassing as it all is, it was more than worth it just to see that smile._

I brush the stray strands of blonde hair out of my face with my free hand and begin, “Well, Taylor ordered some pizza and Max delivered it. I…kind of had a crush on her so I kept ordering it. I invited her in for a movie and…and then the next day I kissed her.”

Nathan begins to cough, almost choking on his food. I pat him hard on the back. After a few seconds, he finally manages to compose himself. He stares at us with wide eyes, “Just like that?”

“It kind of took me by surprise to be honest,” Max smiles at me, her blue eyes sparkling.

“I bet,” Nathan chuckled. He knows better than anyone what I can be like.

I clear my throat to get the story back on track, “Anyway, Max came to Blackwell and I freaked out. She said she wanted some time to think about things. We've been hanging around a lot recently and yesterday…we became official.”

Nathan thoughtfully chews on a pizza slice, then smiles, “Good for you guys.”

Max’s once tense body relaxes, her shoulders no longer hunched over. She was probably worried that Nathan would beat her up or something.

_He’s all bark and no bite._

She looks down at her watch, “I had better get going. The pizzas don't deliver themselves,” she mentions as she stands up and makes her way over to the door. I follow close behind her and give her cheek a quick kiss before she leaves. For a moment, Max seems to be considering staying, her eyes focused on me.

“Go on,” I gently push her out of the doorway, “I’ll see you later.”

“You bet,” she grins at me as she gently takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. She reluctantly makes her way down the hallway, glancing back over her shoulder every few seconds at me.

_That went better than expected._

Nathan gets up abruptly, “I have to pee. Be right back.”

I scrunch my face up as I perch myself back on his bed, “Ew, too much information.”

He grins at me before he leaves.

* * *

**Max's POV** **\- Dorm Corridor – 7:30 pm**

As I walk down the hallway, I try to figure out what just happened.

_Well, that was…unexpected. At least it seemed to go pretty smoothly._

“Max,” I turn to the source of the voice to see Nathan striding with purpose towards me.

_Uh-oh._

He stops in front of me, his jaw clenching slightly and his shoulders squaring up confrontationally, “You'd better not hurt her, Caulfield,” he warns, “or you'll have me to deal with. No-one fucks with my friends. If you're just using her to get some connections in the photography world, then you can fuck off right now.”

_He…he thinks I’m just with Victoria because of her family’s influence? No way, I’d never do that to her._

“Wait, you think I'm just…using her?”

He frowns, his blue eyes squinting suspiciously, “I don't know, are you?”

I shake my head earnestly, “N…no, I would never do that to her.”

He stares at me, trying to gauge if I’m telling the truth. I meet his gaze, showing I have nothing to hide. After a few minutes his face relaxes and he rubs his temples, “I doubt you’d have it in you anyway,” he mutters to himself, then looks apologetically at me, “Sorry, it's just that people have fucked her over before. Victoria is my best friend and I don't want her to get hurt. We've been friends for such a long time, I get really protective of her,” he sighs deeply, “When you have such prestigious parents as Victoria and I do, it can be a real struggle. People only want to talk to you if they can get something out of you. Once they have, they abandon you. You can't tell who is just being friendly and who is just out for themselves,” he rubs his neck, a dejected expression on his face, “You feel as if you always have to be someone else, to impress people. Reputation is all that matters. I hate it. I just want to live my own life, and so does Victoria,” his voice raises at the end of his sentence, his fist clenching and his brow furrowing in frustration.

_It must be hard having to pretend you're someone you're not just to please your parents._

He takes a deep breath, his face softens and his hands relax, “Victoria gets really attached to people. She has very few people she can trust and when she finds them, she would move heaven and hell to help them.”

_He really does care about her. Sure, he may have been a bit of a rich kid arsehole a few times, but he's not a bad person._

I nod confidently and meet his eyes, “I understand. I promise I won't hurt her,” a slight blush creeps its way onto my cheeks, “I…I really like her.”

He sighs in relief, “I can tell. Victoria likes you a lot too. I've been around her long enough to know when she likes someone. I just don't think I can see her get hurt again.”

_No wonder Victoria seems so insecure. If people have just been using her all her life, she must expect people to screw her over._

He smiles, all traces of hostility towards me gone, “Hey, I'll put you on the Vortex VIP list for this Thursday. It's the least I can do. I bet Victoria would like you there.”

_Parties usually aren't my thing, but if Victoria's there, it could be fun._

“Thanks.”

He shrugs, “Don't mention it. Just…look after her ok? It doesn't look like it, but she really takes everything to heart.”

I look him in straight the eyes, willing him to believe me, “I will.”

His smile grows wider.

_I don't think I have really seen Nathan smile before, not like this anyway. I'm used to the usual condescending sneer he struts around with, but not this._

He looks at me apologetically, “Sorry I got a bit weighty with you there.”

I shrug, “No worries. I've had worse from Chloe. I'll see you around.”

He nods, “Yep.”

Just as I go to walk away, he calls after me, “Oh and Max…” I turn around and see him smiling, “Look after yourself too.”

* * *

**Nathan's POV** **\- Nathan's Room – 7:45 pm**

I walk back into my room, feeling happier now I’ve had that talk with Max.

_Let’s hope it works out for them._

As the door creaks open, Victoria narrows her eyes suspiciously at me, “You took your time.”

I offer her a smug grin, “Do you want a blow by blow account of my trip to the bathroom? I would be happy to offer one.”

Victoria’s face crumples up in disgust, “No thanks.”

I smirk at her and join her back on the bed. I take a moment to really look at her. There definitely seems to be something…different about her. She doesn’t seem quite as tense as usual, her guard more relaxed. It reminds me of when we were kids, before we really had to worry about upholding the reputation of our families and all the pressures that come with it. She keeps smiling to herself and her eyes are brighter and more alive than I’ve seen from her in a long time.

“You know, I think you chose well with Max,” I comment as I grab another slice of pizza.

Victoria lifts her head, seeming taken aback by my sudden declaration, “You think so?”

I nod, thinking back to how determined she’d looked when talking about Victoria, “She seems to be a decent person so far. If you're both happy, then I'm happy for you guys,” Victoria smiles warmly at me as I continue, “If you ever need to talk about stuff, I'm here for you. It doesn't have to be bad stuff. You can just tell me how well things are going. Get some bragging in.”

Victoria suddenly hugs me, almost making me drop the pizza slice on my bed, “Thanks Nathan. I know I can rely on you.”

I chuckle placing the slice back in the box, hastily wiping my hands on my pajamas so as to not get grease all over her prized cashmere, and wrap my arms around her.

_I just want her to be happy. She’s been through enough shit, so hopefully she’s earned a bit of good Karma. She deserves it._

Images flicker across my mind, memories of Victoria’s kindness. When I was younger, I cried all the time. While my parents scolded me, telling me that I should grow up Victoria held me while I cried, humming until I stopped. She’d always tell me that’s it was fine to cry no matter what other people said. One day I remember going up to her room and hearing her sobbing behind the door. It was the first time I’d ever heard her actually cry before and it broke my heart. I gently pushed on the door, strode over to her bed and hugged her tight, humming as she had with me.

When we break apart, I grab my pizza slice again, “Oh yeah. I'll put Max's name on the VIP list, so she can come to the party on Thursday. I'm sure you'd like that.”

Victoria’s expression turns troubled, “I'm not sure Max will even want to go.”

I place a hand on her arm reassuringly, “I'm sure she will if you're going. Just…break her in gently, I know how hard you usually party.”

Victoria hits me lightly on the arm and pouts, “Like you can talk”

I rub my arm, smiling, “Ouch.”

She grins at me, “You deserved that,” then closes her eyes momentarily, “I'll probably have to give her a hand with the dress code. I imagine she would probably turn up in her full hipster attire if left to her own devises,” she laughs at this mental image, her face so gentle and relaxed as she gushes on about Max. I don’t stop her. I just watch on in mild amusement at how animated she gets.

_I've not seen her this excited in a long time. I'm glad she's found someone who cares about her, someone she trusts, someone she can just be herself around. God knows we all need someone like that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Rauden for the idea for this chapter.  
> We gonna have a party. For anyone wondering, it’s the same one in the game. I won’t have the everyday heroes contest though or all the other crazy shit that happened.  
> Let the countdown commence.


	12. No Spoilers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria gets a text from Max. What does she have to say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. What’s up? I think you will enjoy this one. I know I did. We got some Maximum Victory fluffness.  
> Enjoy

**Chapter Twelve: No Spoilers**

**Day 28**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 4:20 pm**

I feel my phone vibrate against my leg. I take it out of my pocket and unlock the screen, seeing one new message from Max.

**Max: Hey. How is my beautiful gf doing today? You free now?**

_Max, you nerd._

**Victoria: She is doing great now you've text her. Sure am. Why?**

**Max: Meet me at the bus stop in 5**

_Very cryptic._

**Victoria: You didn't answer my question**

**Max: It's a surprise ;)**

_A surprise, huh?_

**Victoria: This doesn't sound dodgy at all**

**Max: Come on. Aren't you curious? Not even a little? You'll get to spend some alone time with me as a bonus**

**Victoria: When you put it like that, how can I resist? I'll be there**

**Max: See you there xoxo**

I stuff my phone back in my pocket, now very curious at this impromptu meeting. Max isn’t the most spontaneous of people, usually overthinking every small detail, so this sudden call out is very mysterious.

_I wonder what she has planned. I guess there is only one way to find out._

I gather up my belongings and give myself a quick once over in the mirror. My short blonde hair is pristine, as per usual. My make-up seems to be in order too, no smudges or anything, but I do touch it up a little regardless. I'm wearing my usual attire: a black skirt with tights, my prized black cashmere with a yellow shirt underneath and a pearl necklace. I straighten the collar of my shirt and run my fingers through my fringe when I spot an out of place strand of hair.

_Max didn't say it was formal, so I suppose this will do. I'm sure she'll be wearing her hipster attire anyway._

Satisfied, I head on out of my room into the hallway and make my way to the bus stop.

* * *

As I approach the bus stop I see Max standing there, leaning against a small wall. She checks her phone every few moments and lightly taps her fingers against her leg. As predicted, she has on the same gray hoodie she wears literally every day.

_At least I can tell it's her no matter how far away I am._

I move closer to her, my long legs easily making up the distance between us. She is only a few steps ahead of me now. I’m about to call out to her, but she moves forward, reaching into her bag and takes out her camera. I watch her with curiosity as she bends down in front of the wall a little way from a bluebird. She looks down the viewfinder, lining up her shot with careful precision with her finger poised over the button and her tongue stuck out slightly in concentration. Once satisfied, she presses the button and takes the shot. I take advantage of this moment of distraction and sneak up on her, tapping her on the ass. She spins around, a puzzled expression on her face. When she sees me, she blushes, “V-Victoria. I didn't see you there.”

“I figured that much out,” I smirk smugly.

Her brow furrows slightly in confusion, her lips parted more than usual. I’ve noticed that whenever Max is nervous or flustered, this always happens and it drives me insane. Her beautiful doe-like eyes show uncertainty, her freckles covering her face like constellations as she swallows hard, “Did you just… touch my ass?”

I put on a defiant expression and cross my arms, “So what if I did?”

She glances down at the floor momentarily, biting her lip and rubbing her neck, “I… I thought it might be someone taking the piss,” she looks up, her once trouble expression replaced with a wide grin, her eyes bright and gentle, “I'm glad it was you.”

I move closer to Max, pressing her further against the short wall. She looks up at me, the confusion in her eyes returning as she bites her lip again, the flush on her cheeks deepening.

“You were glad, huh?” I question in a hushed voice as she licks her lips.

Her eyes wander down to my lips and her chest rises and falls more frequently, “Yeah,” she breathes,

“Well…” I take hold of her hand, her breath hitching as I press my body into hers, leaning my face close, “…there's plenty more where that came from,” I can feel her warm breath on my skin, it smells faintly of mint. I smirk, my voice quiet so only she can hear, “Oh, what's this? Were you anticipating a kiss? Sly, Max. Very sly.”

She clears her throat, “I… I wasn't anticipating one necessarily…” she gazes deeply into my eyes, “…however I won't turn one down if I was offered one.”

_Max has definitely been bolder recently. I must admit, it's a nice surprise. I thought she would be timid and submissive, however it turns out she can be very daring when she wants to be._

“Maybe I'll offer you one then,” I lightly tease.

She reaches up and touches my cheek, gently stroking it, her eyes are full of want. She whispers into my ear, “Maybe you should.”

I lean in close and capture Max’s lips. She wraps herself around me, moving her lips tenderly against mine. The contact sends a shiver down my spine and my body begins to tingle.

_Max’s kisses are always gentle and tender… just like her._

I press my body further into hers, trying to get as close to her as possible. Suddenly without any warning, we end up in an undignified heap on the concrete path, “Ouch.”

Max lost her balance because I leaned into her too much and we fell over the short wall we were propped up against and I landed on top of her. Max adjusts herself slightly and looks up at me, amusement in her eyes, “Oh Victoria, I didn't realize you would be so bold as to jump me in public.”

I go to get off her, but she stops me, a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes, “I didn't have that piece of gum for nothing.”

She grabs my shirt and pulls me down, causing my lips to collide with hers. She moves them firmly against mine, much more confidently than I am used to from her. My eyes widen in shock for a moment, then I kiss Max just as fiercely and passionately back.

_Sure, laying on the ground in front of a bus stop might not be the best place for a make-out session, but I'm not going to say no._

Max’s fingers tangle in my hair, gently tugging and running through it. I feel her tongue requesting entrance, which I grant. I get as close to her as I possibly can, bridging any gap that once was between us.

_I never realized Max could be so proactive._

After a few moments we break apart, both panting lightly. From the distance, I can hear laughter and wolf-whistling. I turn my head to the sounds to see two girls stood a few metres away from us. One has short blue hair, the other long blonde hair. I assume they are Chloe and Rachel

Chloe cups her hands, bringing them to her mouth and shouts through them, “Way to go, Max! Gettin' some action!” she sounds as if she is grinning from ear to ear.

“Damn Max, you are hardcore. I didn't believe Chloe at first,” Rachel giggles as she looks on at us.

Max flips them off, causing Chloe chuckles heartily, “Max, are you trying to steal my signature move?”

I can hear Rachel chuckle as Max shouts back, “Keep walking, Chloe. There’s nothing to see here.”

Chloe and Rachel grin to one another and then continue on their way, no doubt discussing the weird spectacle they just witnessed. Max gets up and dusts herself off then offers me a hand, which I take, “Sorry about that, Max.”

She waves away my apology, “No worries. It was nice, well not the whole falling part. Note to self: Don't make out against objects which aren't at least as tall as you.”

The bus finally pulls up at the stop as I try to brush down my now dishevelled hair. Max grabs my hand and excitedly pulls me along onto the bus. We find two free seats and sit down next to each other. Max keeps a firm grip on my hand, almost vibrating with excitement.

“Where are we going, Max?”

She grins cheekily, her eyes sparkle with anticipation as waggles her finger at me, “I told you, it's a surprise. No spoilers.”

* * *

We get off at the stop near the Lighthouse and Max pulls me along up the well-trodden winding path up to the top of the cliff. As we walk, the tall trees gently sway in the warm breeze around us.

“You still haven't told me what we are doing,” I point out. Max doesn’t answer and continues to guide me up the path.

When we reach the top, she lets go of my hand and turns around, putting her hands behind her back and smiles innocently at me, “I thought if I was going to go to the party, then I'd choose something for us to do too. And since we had the day off today, what better time than now?”

_I can't think of a better way to spend my time than with Max._

Max ambles over to the weathered wooden bench overlooking the sea and runs her hand along the top of it, “We are going to be taking pictures of course. I just thought it would be nice to get some of us together, you know, now that we are official.”

I walk up behind Max, wrapping my arms around her and briefly place my lips on the nape of her neck, “It's a great idea.”

Max turns her face towards me and gives me a quick kiss, “Of course it is. I came up with it,” she grins cheekily.

I roll my eyes, suppressing a smile, “You are so modest.”

She sticks out her tongue at me, “It's a nice way to preserve memories.”

I squeeze her tightly, “I agree.”

Max take out her camera from the small shoulder bag slung over her shoulder and holds it out in front of us, “Say cheese,” she presses the button followed by a bright flash of light and then by a photo emerging from the camera seconds later. She swipes it and inspects it thoroughly, a small smile tugging at her lips as she shows it to me. Max is making a peace sign with a dorky grin on her face. My face is close to Max's, my smile wide and my brown eyes glistening. The sun behind us casts an orangey haze on the cliff top area, the sky a multitude of colors with birds lazily circling in it.

_I don't think I have seen myself look this happy in a while._

“I have to admit, Caulfield, it's a nice shot.”

Max nudges me with her elbow and laughs, “Don't sound so surprised.”

We take several photos together. One with the lighthouse in the background, a few of us posing next to interesting graffiti we found in the area, one or two of us kissing and a lot of us making silly faces, cross eyed and tongues out. Once or twice, Max gets distracted by the odd squirrel, but I manage to bring her back with some difficulty I might add. After our photoshoot we sit on the bench, inspecting the products from today. Max sits close to me, lazily shuffling through the photos. Every now and then, her lip quirks upwards into a fond smile.

“Max,” I call in a hushed tone so as to not break the calming atmosphere.

She looks over at me, “Yeah?”

I place an arm around her, pulling her into me, “This was nice. I'm glad you brought me here.”

_Having her in my arms makes me feel complete._

Max rests her head on my shoulder, a content expression on her face, “Well, it wouldn't be very fun on my own now, would it?”

I kiss her forehead gently, “I guess not.”

We watch the sun slowly retreating below the horizon, a sudden chill passing over us. We both shudder from the temperature drop. Max looks up at me, “We should probably head back now before I become a Maxsicle.”

* * *

**Dorm Corridor – 6:00 pm**

We stand in the corridor outside our rooms. I give her a hug and wish her a good night before turning to enter my room. I am stopped by a gentle tugging on my sleeve. When I turn back, I see Max standing there, a conflicted expression on her freckled face. She looks down at her feet, which she shuffles nervously. I take a step forward and gather her face in my hands, lifting her head to look up at me, “What's wrong?”

She worries her lip between her teeth, her voice hesitant as she speaks, “You know… now we're seeing each other, we could… s-sleep together.”

I smirk, “I didn't think you would be so eager, I'm down.”

Max rolls her eyes and playfully taps me on the head, her cheeks turning pink from my insinuation, “You… know what I mean.”

I grin, “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. Sure, I sleep better when someone else is there anyway.”

Max's lip quirks into a smile, her eyes sparkling with delight, “It's starting to get real cold at night. I need a snuggle buddy.”

I move closer to her, “I think I'm more than capable of fulfilling that role.”

Max smiles at me, “I have no doubt,” she motions towards her door, “I'll just go grab some of my things. We can watch a movie or something too.”

I nod, “Sounds good. Don't be too long or I'll come find you.”

She turns back and enters her room. I go to mine and check that it’s looking presentable, leaving the door open for Max. I kick a few random items laying around on my floor under my bed.

_At least they are out of sight._

I feel arms encircle me, someone pressed into my back, “Guess who?”

_Oh Max. You just can't help but be adorkable, can you?_

I stroke my chin, thinking it over, “Could it possibly be the most gorgeous woman in the world?” the arms relinquish their hold on me and I turn around to see Max standing there, “Why… it is.”

Max blushes slightly, “Hey, it's my job to say the dorky lines. That is my role in this relationship. Don't steal it from me,” she pouts at me. As I take a better look at her, I notice that her pajama top has little chicks on it.

“Come on you,” I giggle at her pouty expression, “Go get comfortable, I just need to change. No peeking. I don't give out sneak previews,” I wink at her.

Max puts her hand over her eyes, “Gotcha. I won't look,” she feels around blindly towards my bed.

_She really is a dork._

I grab my pajamas and get changed, then select a DVD at random from my collection and set it up. I make my way over to my bed and get in, Max instinctively snuggling up closer to me the second I get settled. I place my arm around her as she tangles her leg in between mine, gently nudging my foot. She then grabs hold of my hand and intertwines our fingers.

“All settled?” I ask as the film begins to play.

Max leans in and kisses me, “Now I am.”

We sit there watching the film. About halfway through, I can see Max’s eyes start to close and her breathing slow. Her head rests on my shoulder as she lightly snores, her expression so peaceful. I grab the remote and switch the TV off, gently guiding Max down into a laying position as she grips on tightly to my top. She shuffles closer to me, mumbling incoherently in her sleep. I place a brief kiss to her forehead and stroke her hair, then whisper into her ear, “Night, Max. Sweet dreams.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that chapter and I shall see you next time. Love you guys x


	13. Polar Opposites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's party time for Max and Victoria. How will the night go for our delightful duo?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome on and all. From those of you here from the beginning and those of you just joining now. It’s party time!  
> Thank you so much for following the story to this point. It really is astonishing for little old me typing away at my computer. 
> 
> There is now over 250 kudos on this story. Give yourselves a round of applause. I would give you all cake if I could. That really should be an internet feature. Maybe 2016 is the year. Thank you all so much. I really look forward to sharing the rest of this journey with you. I hope you are just as excited as I am.
> 
> Enjoy

**Chapter Thirteen: Polar Opposites**

**Day 30**

**Max's POV** **– Two Whales Pizzeria – 4:53pm**

I tap my fingers on the counter and inspect my watch, watching the minutes tick by. Today is the day of my first Vortex Club party. I lean against the counter, propping my head on my hand.

_I'm not sure what to expect really. I'm not a huge party animal, in fact this will be the first major party I've been to, maybe my last depending on how it goes. I doubt I would have gone if Victoria wasn't._

“Max,” a cheerful voice calls from behind me. I turn to see Joyce stood there, looking at me curiously, “aren't you supposed to be going soon?”

I stand up straight and nod, “I'm waiting for Victoria. She's going to come pick me up real soon.”

Joyce smiles, her eyes lighting up with mild amusement, “Oh, so Victoria is the woman who's got Max Caulfield all in a state.”

I laugh nervously, “What… what do you mean?”

_Is it that obvious?_

She crosses her arms with one eyebrow raised skeptically, “Oh don't go giving me the innocent routine. I've had it a million times from Chloe and trust me, she is way better at it than you. You've been clumsier than usual, if that's possible.”

_I need to get it together._

I rub my neck, “H-have I?”

She nods, “Yep, you have, as hard as that is to believe.”

I sigh and close my eyes momentarily, running my fingers through my mid length brown hair, “I'm just excited and… a bit nervous.”

_While I know Victoria will keep an eye out for me, I still feel a bit apprehensive about partying. I’m just not used to it so I guess it make sense for me to feel like that._

Joyce smiles benevolently at me and places a reassuring hand on my arm, offering me a warm smile, “You'll be fine honey. If Victoria is half as nice as how you've described her to me, then you'll be absolutely fine. I must admit, I am very looking forward to meeting her.”

As if on cue, the door to the pizzeria opens revealing a tall girl with short blonde hair. She scans the pizzeria briefly, her eyes finally settling on me and a wide smile forms on her face as she approaches the counter.

Joyce glances at Victoria, then offers me an amused smile, “Is that your girlfriend, Caulfield?”

_Part of me still doesn't believe that any of this is real. I mean… how the hell did I of all people manage to be with someone like Victoria?_

“Uh… yeah,” my voice comes out more hushed than I had anticipated, but loud enough for Victoria to hear.

_It’s still kind of embarrassing if I’m going to be honest. Victoria is the first person I’ve been with like this. I’m loving every minute of it, it’s just new. New things can be just as scary as they are great. I’ve never been a great one for change._

Joyce nudges me with her elbow and stage whispers, “Nice going. You'll have to teach me your secrets.”

Victoria obviously hears this, because she rolls her eyes, however I can see she is trying hard to supress a smile with limited success, “Come on you, we need to get going and get you party ready.”

_She may appear to be aloof, but that's all an act. Anyone who saw her like I did would agree, when she completely lets her guard down and doesn’t hide behind the masks she’s created._

“I'll just go get changed. Hold on,” I call back through as I go to the back room. I go to my locker and quickly take of my uniform, replacing it with my well-worn hoodie, pink Jane Doe shirt and jeans.

_The prospect of getting all done up is kind of exciting. I don’t often do this sort of thing._

I sling my bag over my shoulder and walk out into the main part of the pizzeria. Victoria smiles as I re-enter the room and grabs hold of my hand.

Joyce stands in front of us, giving us a once over then beaming, “Now don't you two make a nice couple?”

Victoria nods and squeezes my hand, “I think so.”

_It really is nice to have Joyce around when my parents are so far away. Joyce is basically my second mom, especially since Chloe is like a sister to me, at least we argue as much as siblings do. Joyce always had fun trying to break us up when we fought over stupid things like the last pancake, something we still do today. Now, Rachel ends up eating it while we’re busy fighting. I always used to love going to their house when I lived here. I still do, even if some things have changed._

Joyce grins, her blue eyes sparkling as she motions toward the door, “Go on. You enjoy yourselves now and try not to get in too much trouble.”

“We won’t, Joyce,” I promise as Victoria all but drags me out of the Two Whales to her car parked just over the road, “Someone’s eager,” I lightly tease as she opens the passenger side door to let me into her car. She then walks around to the driver’s side and gets in.

As she sits down, she turns to me and gazes deeply into my eyes, “I've been thinking about it for a few days now and I can't wait to see you dancing. It should be entertaining.”

I nudge her, “Hey, what's that supposed to mean?”

She laughs and shakes her head, “You know damn well what I mean.”

_She is right. I really can't dance to save my life. I hope I don't embarrass her._

She stares at me for a moment then places her hand on my face, slowly rubbing her thumb on my cheek, “Max, just be yourself at the party. Don't worry too much about everyone else. Just focus on me and I'll do the same with you, ok?”

I lean into her touch and whisper, “Definitely.”

* * *

**Victoria's POV - Max's Room – 6:00pm**

I let out an exasperated sigh, “Don't you have anything other than hipster jeans and hoodies?” we have been looking around Max's room for half an hour and have yet to come up with anything suitable for the party.

_Maybe we will have to have a quick stop at a store. I should have known Max would have something to wear. I was too optimistic._

Max rummages around in the bottom of her wardrobe for a few moments, tossing out crumpled up clothing, shoes and bags. She takes out a paper bag and passes it to me, “Well, there is this, not that I've ever worn it, as you can probably tell. Mom and Dad got it for me on the off chance that I actually went to a party. I almost forgot about it. Dresses aren't usually my thing if you haven't already guessed.”

I open the bag and take out the item inside. It is a plain short blue dress.

_We could make this work._

I look around at the mess of clothes and shoes strewn across the floor and on her bed, “We can add some jewellery and get your make-up sorted, then this would be perfect,” I sigh in relief, “Thank god for your parents. I bet if I had let you, you would have turned up in your usual hipster attire, huh?”

Max blushes slightly, “P-probably,” she admits, “I really don't have a clue when it comes to fashion.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m here then,” I say as I place the dress against her, trying to imagine what accessories to add.

_I think I might have a bracelet that would go well with this._

Max looks down at the floor momentarily and mumbles, “Yeah. It is,” she looks up at me with her blue doe-like eyes and bites her lip. Her eyes pierce me, as if she is staring into my soul. She takes a small step towards me and presses her lips against mine. I oblige and return her affection, the kiss starting off slow, but quickly becoming more passionate.

_We don't really have time for this unfortunately. You sure do pick your times, Max._

I break apart from her and tap her lightly on the nose, “Now, now, Caulfield. We have things to do. As much as I would love to get into this right now, I don't want to start something I can't finish.”

She pouts and crosses her arms, “Fine.”

I give her ass a light tap as I get to work, “Let's get you sorted out.”

* * *

**Outside Vortex Club Party – 8:00pm**

We walk up to the entrance of the Vortex Party, which is being held at the swimming pool. Nathan got it all sorted out earlier this morning and I have to admit he did a good job on it. I glance over to Max, who is now dressed appropriately for the party in her short blue dress accompanied by one of my bracelets. It looks really nice on her, despite her protests that it would look weird. I’ve opted for a short red dress, with flat shoes fit for dancing.

_I don’t think I really need high heels anyway. It’s not a really formal party and my feet would really hurt. Besides, I would tower over Max._

I lean down and whisper, “Ready?”

She looks up at me and smiles, “Always.”

I move the curtain aside and we enter the party. I am immediately hit with purple flashing lights and deafening music.

_I have a feeling I'll be getting a headache from this._

A few people are dancing near the entrance, others are taking advantage of the pool. We walk through the mass of people towards the VIP section, the girl at the table boredly waving us through. As we enter the VIP section, I can see Nathan sitting with Hayden to our left on a couch smoking. When Nathan sees us, he stands up and comes over to give us a hug, “Hey, glad you guys could make it. Enjoy yourselves tonight,” his voice sounds a bit slurred and slower than usual, his eyes slightly unfocused from the weed.

_He always gets so touchy feely when he’s high._

He re-joins Hayden, who seems to be completely out of it already.

_I think I'll be avoiding whatever that is._

I pull at Max’s arm gently and lean down to her ear so she can hear me, “Let's go grab a drink,” we weave our way past everyone and finally get to the bar. I turn to Max, “Do you want anything?”

_I don't know if she will have anything, but it's worth asking._

Max thinks for a moment then shouts over the pulsating bassline, “Yeah. Why the fuck not? Surprise me.”

I order two drinks and pass one to Max. She sniffs the liquid curiously, then brings the cup to her lips and takes a small sip. Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise, “That's actually not too bad. You have good taste, Victoria.”

I hug her from behind, wrapping my hands around her waist and leaning in close to her ear, “Of course I do. I like you, don't I?”

She turns her head and beams at me, “Smooth talker.”

We go over to the seats positioned around the edge of the pool as we drink. Max’s face turns pink and her body relaxes as she drinks. When she is finished, she stands up and takes my hand, “Miss Chase, may I have this dance?”

I giggle at her, “Max you are such a huge dork, and yes. You may.”

She pulls me up and starts dancing. She waves her arms and moves her hips, not seeming to be listening to the beat at all. She definitely has a few eyes on her, watching her twist and turn. She changes it up, going fast and throwing her body around, while other times bringing the pace down, leaning her face in close to mine and taking it slower, touching my sides and gently kissing my lips, then suddenly she fades in the purple hazy flickering light, and for a moment I think I've lost her. Then out of nowhere she reappears. It's chaotic, yet also the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I am sucked into her crazy beat.

_Nothing makes sense, but does it need to? We don't have to conform to what is expected. We carve our own rhythm, one that is both erratic and calm. Chaotic and ordered. Visceral and reasoned._

The sweat drips down from my forehead, my heart pounding and the alcohol running through my veins as the beat of the music vibrates through me. The wall of writhing bodies envelops us, creating our own enclosed space. I have no idea how long we have been here, but I don’t care. I would stay here for eternity if I could, as long as she was here by my side. Throughout it all, she never once lets go of my hand. I only see her, feel her. No-one else exists in this moment, our moment. My hand is suddenly pulled out of the mass of people as Max guides me over to the side.

She flops down on one of the chairs and exhales, “Phew. It was getting pretty crowded in there, huh?” she wipes her forehead, looking totally exhausted.

I lean in close to her ear, in order to make myself heard over the music, “Hold on, Max. I'll go get some more drinks.”

She kisses my cheek and looks at me, a coy glint in her eyes as runs her finger along my cheek, “Don't be long.”

I walk over to the bar and signal for the bar tender. I order a couple of drinks and turn around to head on back to where Max is now stood waiting for me. When I do, I see Warren waltzing over to Max. He stumbles a bit as he approaches her. Max shifts uncomfortably as he speaks with her.

_No fucking way._

I stride over and place my arm around Max, staring Warren down, “What's going on, Max?”

She sighs in relief the moment I interrupt. Warren on the other hand turns to me, his eyes unfocused as he glares at me, “I'm just having a chat with my best friend. Is that ok?” his words are slurred as he throws his arms out to the side. His tone doesn’t sit well with me at all.

I draw myself to my fullest height and give him my famous death glare. He noticeably recoils noticeably as I raise my voice so he can hear above the beat, “Take the fucking hint, Warren. She doesn't want to get in your pants. Go find Brooke for that.”

He narrows his eyes at me, “What does it have to do with you anyway?”

_No-one fucks with my girl._

I aggressively push Max against a wall and kiss her. Her eyes register shock for a moment, but soon they close as she wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me just as fiercely. I slide my tongue into her mouth.

_I bet Warren is getting off on this. Hopefully he'll fuck off._

I can feel my body tingling as Max gently pulls at my hair. My hands wander down to Max's ass. I grab it firmly, causing her to moan into my mouth.

_Max, you are driving me crazy. I can't take it much longer._

After a few moments, we break apart panting.

Warren stands there with his mouth agape as he tries to process what he just saw. Max’s chest rises and falls rapidly as she gives me a look I can’t resist. Everyone is staring in disbelief at the scene before them. I glare at them and growl, “What? You never seen two women kiss before?”

_I know they are all thinking it's a weird match. Max and I are pretty much polar opposites, at least on the surface._

Everyone slowly starts to get back to their dancing. I can still feel their eyes on us, but I don't care. Max smiles at me and pulls me back down, grabbing on hard to my dress. She leans her body close to me, pressing her lips against mine. Suddenly, I feel something cold and wet against my skin. The smell of alcohol permeates the air.

_What the…? Great. Just great. Whoever did this is going to wish they hadn’t. No-one messes with Victoria Chase and gets away with it._

I turn around, ready to tear into whichever arsehole did it. I see Logan stumbling around all over the place. It is obvious that it was his drink that has ended up on us, “For fucks sake, Logan,” I yell, “Do you know how much this fucking outfit cost?”

He turns to me, his words are slurred, “Oh… shame… now… now I guess you'll… have to take 'em off. Walk around… naked,” he leers.

“Not if you're here.”

He blinks groggily and staggers closer to me, jabbing his finger at me, “I've… I've seen the way you… you look at me. I know you want it.”

_This guy is such a fucking perv._

“Ew. No fucking way,” I shout.

He doesn’t seem to take no for an answer and goes to put a hand on my arm, but it is thrown off of me.

Max stands in front of me, nearly snarling, “Get off her.”

Logan looks taken aback for a moment. I must admit, it takes me by surprise too and everyone else around us by the looks of it. Once he composes himself, he shakes his head and smirks, “Max. Damn you… you look hot when you're angry.”

She squares him up, looking pissed. Her brows are furrowed and her body shaking with rage, “Oh, so after what happened with Dana you're doing this. Trying to get with everyone? Pathetic. You are such a dick. If you dare put a hand on Victoria again, I'll feed you your own balls.”

My eyes widen in shock at Max’s sudden hostility.

_Whoa, where is this coming from?_

Before Logan says another word, Nathan comes up to him and drags him away. Logan slumps against Nathan, almost causing the pair to fall over, “I got this. You guys go get cleaned up.”

_Nathan is always there when I need him._

I smile at him thankfully, “Thanks,” I grab onto Max’s hand and begin pulling her towards the exit, “Come on Max.”

* * *

**Nathan's POV**

I sit Logan down on one of the couches and he immediately passes out, beginning to snore lightly.

_Logan is such a dick when he's drunk. More so than usual._

I scan the area, chuckling when I can’t see Victoria or Max anywhere. I head on over to the bar and grab a drink. As I walk back from the bar, drink in hand, I see Warren sat on the side, his head in his hands. Usually I might tease him, but he looks really bummed out.

_I need to stop being such a rich kid asshole. If Victoria can do it, so can I. I have to start somewhere, so why not now?_

I walk over to where Warren is sat. He doesn't even notice me at first, so I stand directly in front of him, “Dude, what's up?”

He lifts his head and stares at me with hollow eyes, “Well, I just saw the girl I like making out with Victoria Chase.”

_What do I even say? I have no clue._

I sit beside him, “I see. That's rough. Victoria sure is a force to be reckoned with, huh? She gets really possessive over people.”

He sighs and runs a hand through his brown hair, “You can say that again. But then, it looks like Max can be too when pushed. She really tore into Logan when he was being a total creep. I have never seen her snap like that before.”

_I think it came as a shock to everyone. Max is usually so timid, but she didn’t even hesitate to protect Victoria. Just another reason to add to the ever growing list of why Max and Victoria are perfect for each other._

“Mind you,” he sighs, “I kind of deserved all this I guess. I could see what I was doing was making Max uncomfortable, yet I did it anyway. I could blame the booze, but that would be irresponsible. What a fucking terrible friend I turned out to be…”

_From what I've heard from Max, Warren seems like a decent enough guy, just a bit keen and pushy._

“From what I hear, you're far from a bad friend,” I mention. Warren lifts his head up to look at me, a slight glimmer of hope in his eyes.

_Let’s keep this up, Nathan. You’re doing well._

I look over at everyone dancing and drinking their troubles away, “Look, it's a party. Fuck everything. So what if Max is taken. There are plenty of other people you can get with. I know it sucks, but you can't let it ruin your night.”

He sits there, contemplating everything for a moment, “You know what? You're right.”

I smile, “Of course I'm right. I'm Nathan fucking Prescott. Get wasted, get your Time Warp on and just enjoy yourself,” I shove the drink in my hand in his direction. He takes it and downs it in one.

* * *

**Victoria's POV** **\- Outside – 9:30pm**

“Logan is such a dick,” I grumble as we walk towards the Blackwell dorm hand in hand, “I bet he did it because he was jealous. I'm going to charge him for cleaning this.”

Max is really quiet as she holds onto my hand tightly. Her hand is shaking slightly in mine.

_I had hoped her first big party would go slightly smoother than this, but what did I expect from Blackwell._

I sigh and squeeze her hand, “Sorry about that. Your first party didn't have the best ending.”

Max shrugs, “I had fun up until that point,” her words are slurred very slightly and her cheeks are a pale pink. She isn't really drunk, but I can tell the alcohol has had an effect.

_I bet she doesn't drink a lot normally._

The grounds are so pretty at night. I glance up at the vast sky and see the moon shining down on us as small insects flutter around in the darkness, “Thanks for defending me against Logan. It… it means a lot to me.”

Max takes a deep breath, “No worries. It was a bit scary.”

I look down at her, “Yeah, the guy is like a foot taller than you.”

She squeezes my hand, “It was totally worth it.”

As we continue to walk, I stare up at the night sky, stars twinkle in its midnight blue depths. A cool breeze caresses my skin, causing me to shudder. Max moves closer to me, her skin warm against mine. When we are this close, I can distinguish her scent. I let her borrow one of my perfumes for the party. She smells different from usual because of it.

I lightly play with her index finger, pushing it from side to side, “I'm glad to see your dancing was about as good as I expected.”

She pushes me gently, “Shut up. At least it was better than Trevor's.”

_Trevor does have his own… unique style._

I shake my head, “That's not really an achievement. A dying horse dances better than Trevor. At least he was having fun.”

We walk back to the dorm without further incident, surprisingly. We enter the building, climb the stairs and finally make it to my room, “We need to get changed. I'll call the cleaners tomorrow and get them to work on sorting out this mess up.”

Max shuffles awkwardly, “Are we… are we just getting changed here?”

_Shit. I didn't think about it making her feel uncomfortable._

“I guess. Unless you don't want to…” Max silences my words with a quick kiss.

Her eyes shimmer in the glow of the moonlight passing through my window, “It's fine.”

I turn around, giving Max some privacy and try to get the zipper for my dress, but it is round the back and just out of my reach. I turn my head around to Max and call over to her, “Max, I might need your help. The zips round the back. I had Taylor help earlier, but obviously she isn't here.”

I hear light footsteps approach me from behind, “S-sure,” the zip on my dress is slowly tugged at, cold air rushing against my slightly exposed skin. Suddenly, I feel a light warm pressure on the top of my back, it feels like fingertips. It moves along my shoulders, carefully gliding over my pale skin.

I turn slightly to see Max touching my back and smirk, “You sure are taking your time.”

I feel the pressure being removed from my back and she snaps her head up. She blushes and rubs the back of her neck, stepping back from me, “Sorry… I… you…”

I shake my head smiling, “It's fine Max. If you're curious, you can just do things.”

She clears her throat, “R-really?”

I turn my head round to see her better. Her cheeks are red and her lips parted, exposing her off white teeth. She is giving me that look again, the one that really makes me want to give in to every carnal instinct I have and my mind whirs, “Yeah. In fact, I would really love it if you did.”

_I want Max to be interested in this kind of thing. I don't want to push her though. It's better if she does it at her own pace. It's nice to see she is taking the initiative here._

Her voice is quiet and timid as she licks her lips, “O-ok.”

I hear her tread lightly across the room and feel her warm hand slowly and tentatively return to my back. She traces my shoulder blades and spine, thoroughly investigating every inch of my exposed skin. Her short fingernails brush against me, her touch sending shudders down my spine. She is exploring me, marking out the landmarks and terrain of my skin. Her touch is light, yet very noticeable as her fingertips roam, causing me to sigh contently.

_She is always so gentle with me, not like most people. I have never been touched this way before, not that I have too much experience with this kind of thing, at least not as much as everyone probably thinks I have. Just because I may act a cold-hearted bitch sometimes, doesn’t mean I want to be thrown around and scratched at. I want to be gently caressed and held. I want the contact and the passion… I want Max._

Max lightly kisses the nape of my neck, her lips brushing against my skin. I imagine her having to stand on her tip toes to reach. This thought causes my lip to quirk upwards in a lop-sided grin.

Her hands move to my shoulders, running her fingers over them. She takes the dress and slowly helps me out of it. As she does, her hands explore the contours of my body. They run down my sides, sometimes rubbing. She presses her lips to my shoulder, starting from near my neck all the way across. I step out of the dress, kicking it away with my foot and stand there in my underwear. Max takes a step back and really studies me. Her eyes roam my body as she takes everything in, her eyes much like her camera. In fact, she is very much taking a mental picture right now. I can see it in her eyes. She examines the shot, making sure it is not too light or dark, focusing to ensure the shot is clean and crisp, before she blinks, emblazoning the mental Polaroid in her mind forever. Part of me feels nervous by the intensity and intimacy of this.

_Does she like what she sees? I know I don't really have any curves or anything. I’m not really the ‘ideal’ body type._

Max bites her lip and swallows as she makes her way over to me. She stands in front of me, taking my right hand and places a light kiss on it, “Victoria,” she whispers.

My heart races, my breathing becoming more uneven and shaky, “Yeah?” my voice is hesitant and shows just how vulnerable I am feeling right now.

She places more kisses on my hand, her lips ghosting over my palm. She whispers against my skin, words only ever intended for my ears, “You're perfect,” she gazes up at me, her eyes full of love and maybe a hint of uncertainty, then motions to her dress, “I… I should take mine off too. I d-don't want the stain to get worse or… anything.”

_It's my turn it would seem._

“You helped me, so I should return the favor,” I utter, my throat suddenly becoming dry.

Max's voice is little more than a whisper, “Yeah.”

I place my arms around Max's body and take the zip between my fingers. She leans in close to me, her arms wrap around me, her lips press against my neck, her teeth gently grazing my skin, her breath warming me… all causing me to lose concentration on my task.

_Take it easy, Victoria. Go with the flow and don't freak out._

I take a deep breath, firmly take hold of the zip and begin to pull it down slowly. I hear Max gasp a bit and stop abruptly, “You ok?”

She nods, placing her lips to my ear, gently nibbling and tugging at the lobe, “Yeah, it's just cold.”

As Max's dress falls to the floor, I take a step back from her. She immediately grabs her left arm with her hand, her shoulders hunching slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.

_She has absolutely no reason to feel like she has to cover up. I get how she is feeling though. I may act confident, but I am very insecure. It’s hard to show everything to someone, especially if you care about them._

I gently tease her hand away from her arm, taking it in mine, “Max, there's no need to be self-conscious. You're beautiful. I want to get a proper look at you and I can't if your arm is there.”

She sighs and closes her eyes, “S-sorry. Force of habit.”

I squeeze her hand and rub it with my thumb, “Don't worry, I know I'm going to love every inch of you.”

I let go of her hand and she lets them rest at her side. She still looks a little bit nervous, but she has relaxed considerably since before. I take my time to examine her and smile as I see a few more freckles dotted on her porcelain skin.

_More to count it appears._

I join the freckles up with my touch. They are scattered across her like the stars I can see out of my window tonight. She is quite skinny really, probably more than me. It’s hard to tell her actual figure under the usual baggy gray hoodie and shapeless t-shirts she insists on wearing. I reach out and brush my fingers against her stomach then move slowly up, brushing over the small bumps where her rib cage lies. Max lets out a shuddery breath as my fingers move over the cup of her bra. I give her right breast a small squeeze and then her left. Her breasts are small, but that is perfect for me.

_I don't get the fascination with huge breasts. Why should it matter?_

Her bra is a pale pink colour, which of course doesn't match her white underwear.

_I expected as much._

My hand continues up her sternum and then along her neck. My fingers trace her jawline and run across her slightly chapped lips. I stare at those freckles, the ones I have counted a million times over and no doubt will a million times more. As I come closer to her she looks up at me, her blue doe-like eyes shimmering. I lean down and kiss her gently. She presses her entire body into me as my lips move slowly against hers. I place my hands on her back and move my way down, trying to memorize every dip and bump. I can feel her fingers exploring my back again, leaving trails of fire wherever she touches. Our almost bare skin rubs together, causing me to moan slightly at the sensation.

_I need more… more contact… more of her touch…_

My hands find their way down to her ass and I gently squeeze, causing Max to sigh into my mouth. I back her up, gently pushing her against my wardrobe and deepening the kiss. My mind is spinning now, every touch from Max sends electric shocks throughout my body. My senses are heightened as I am held at the mercy of her touch. As I slide my tongue into her mouth and begin to explore Max gently digs her fingernails into my back. I can feel her tongue in my mouth, brushing against my teeth, dancing with mine, both of us seemingly knowing the score. I can taste the slight hint of cherry on her lips.

_That must be the lip balm I put on her._

I feel her tangling her fingers in my short blonde hair, gently pulling and tugging. She pulls me closer, as close as she possibly can. The friction between us is almost too much for me to handle. I press my knee between her legs, applying a very small amount of pressure. Her body tenses at this movement and she pulls at my bottom lip, digging her nails further into my skin and lightly scratching. Just when I'm going to run out of air, Max breaks away and rests her forehead against mine with her eyes closed. Her breathing is uneven and her lips part as she takes a few deep breaths. She finally opens her eyes and gazes up at me intently. I feel her probing at my souls, teasing out my wishes and desires with those expressive blue eyes for what seems like an eternity.

“Wowser,” she breathes, her cheeks flushed as she lightly pants for air.

_She is always the same. I never want her to change._

I reach out and take a strand of her hair, twisting it around my index finger and offer her a mildly teasing smile, “How did I know you were going to say that?”

As she rests her forehead against mine, catching her breath, something in her eyes shifts and she glances at me apologetically, “Not to ruin this moment or anything, but… the wardrobe handle is kind of sticking into my back.”

I laugh and move away, allowing her to get off of the door, “We don't have much luck with places to make out, huh?” I chuckle as she rubs at the spot where the handle was digging in.

She offers me a dorky grin, “That’s one way of putting it, yeah.”

I motion over to the bed, “Come on. I think we've had enough excitement for today. I just want to lay in bed with the most talented and pretty girl in Blackwell.”

Max plays with my fingers, “Hey, you stole my line.”

We go over to the bed and lay down, Max snuggling up close to me. I pull the covers up around us, creating our own cocoon and place my arm around her, kissing her shoulder. She strokes my hand and takes it in hers, interlacing her fingers with mine. She sighs contently with her body pressing into mine, the heat from Max’s body intermingles with my own. We lay there in silence, cuddling up close to one another. This is not an awkward silence by any means. No words need to be said after those few moments we shared. I can feel my eyes closing and sleep taking over. My vision becoming blurry and darker…

“Victoria…” her soft spoken voice quietly calls out to me in the darkness.

I try to keep my eyes open, “Mmm…?”

She shifts back, moving closer to me, “I'm glad I went to the party.”

I squeeze her hand, “Me too, Max. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is some sort of NSFW prep. Got to take it nice and slow. We are at underwear level, guys. We need some party poppers and hats, maybe confetti. I feel like we need a scale for progress. Maybe one day Victoria and Max will find the perfect making-out spot…  
> Enjoy yourselves out there and just make at least one person smile or laugh. Whether it be a family member, a friend, a colleague, a partner, an acquaintance or a total stranger. We need more smiles and laughter in the world. There is never enough. Sending you guys a big group hug, because you hella deserve it. Spread the love everyone.


	14. Every Step Of The Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max has something to tell Victoria. It shouldn't be such a big deal, but this is Max we are talking about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you are all doing well today. Thank you for all the support for the story so far. I really couldn't do it all without you guys.
> 
> Enjoy

**Chapter Fourteen: Every Step of the Way**

**Day 31**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room – 9:30 am**

A quiet creaking sound penetrates the air, causing my bleary eyes to open.

_What was that?_

I lift my head off of my pillow and blindly look around. When my vision finally comes into focus, I am face to face with Max. She curls up in the blanket further as she shifts in her sleep.

_Trying to steal all the blankets I see._

I don't have the heart to pull them back. She looks so cozy wrapped up like that.

_You win this time, Max._

I listen for a few moments, but don't hear anything else.

_Maybe I'm just imagining things._

Just as I settle back down and close my eyes, I hear another sound. I lift my head up again and see someone there.

_Who is…?_

I squint and make out a figure I know well, a girl with long light blonde hair and blue eyes.

_Of course Taylor would just barge in here. No-one else would even dare to try. No-one else would get away with it._

When she sees I'm awake, she smiles at me, “Vic-”

I place a finger on my lips, not wanting her to wake Max up, “Shhh”

Taylor pauses, staring at me for a moment in confusion with one eyebrow raised.

Max shifts in her sleep and snuggles up closer to me, making her visible. As Taylor’s eyes fall on Max, they widen in realization.

_I guess she didn't see Max the first time._

She whips out her phone and texts furiously. My phone gently vibrates on the table and I carefully reach over, making sure not to wake Max.

**Sweet T: OMG. Did you guys…?**

I roll my eyes at Taylor.

_Can't blame a girl for being curious I guess. Besides, I know she is asking with the best intentions. She would never tease me nastily about it._

**Victoria: Oh god, Taylor. Get your mind out of the gutter**

Taylor grins at me cheekily and texts back.

**Sweet T: You didn't answer my question**

_Taylor can be so persistent sometimes. I'll end up talking about it with her eventually. Now is not the best time though._

**Victoria: Are you just going to stand there?**

Taylor pouts at me and types away.

**Sweet T: But I want all the juicy gossip…**

Max shifts again and I freeze, as does Taylor.

_Please don't wake up, Max. This is a situation I don't want to have to explain._

Max moves her head a bit and clings onto me tighter, but doesn't open her eyes. Taylor and I look at each other, both affirming that Max is still asleep, then I text her back.

**Victoria: I'll tell you later. Please just go**

Taylor shrugs and waves at me.

**Sweet T: Fine. See you later. This doesn't mean you are getting out of this**

She finally leaves, closing the door gently behind her. I sigh in relief as I place my phone back on the side and settle back down, staring at Max’s sleeping face.

_How the hell did she not wake up? She really is dead to the world like this._

I carefully move a stray strand of her brown hair off of her face and tuck it behind her ear. Her bleary blue eyes flicker open a fraction, “Mmmm…” she blinks a few times, trying to figure out where she is.

“Hey,” I whisper.

She gives me a sleepy smile and rubs at her eyes, “Were you staring at me in my sleep?”

“Maybe.”

Max stretches, her entire body clicking. She settles back down again, shifting closer to me and yawns, “It's a good thing I like you so much, otherwise I'd find it creepy.”

I raise an eyebrow, “Me creepy? However would you come to that conclusion?”

“Well, I think ordering pizza you don't even like, just to stalk a random stranger would constitute as creepy for most people,” Max chuckles.

_She's got me there. What was I even thinking? How could I have ever thought that was a good idea… I guess it had the desired effect… eventually._

“Fair point,” I reluctantly concede.

Max nudges my shoulder and smirks smugly, “Aw, is the great Victoria Chase beaten?”

_Far from it._

“No-one beats a Chase,” I start to tickle Max.

“H-hey! N-no fair!” she tries to wriggle from my touch, but fails miserably, “V-Victoria…” she stammers as she desperately attempts to evade me.

I give her a quick kiss on the cheek and relent, “Payback.”

Max lays there, trying to catch her breath. She stares up at the ceiling as we lay there, side by side. She takes a deep breath, “I'm not completely against this form of payback.”

I reach down and take her hand in mine, “Good to know.”

As we lay there in silence, I hear birds singing outside and occasionally see one lazily swoop past the slightly smeared window which overlooks Blackwell's grounds. A lone ray of light shines through into my room. I watch as clouds pass in the sky causing the light to disappear, then suddenly reappear and re-illuminate the floor. My eyes fall on Max's dress, which still sits in the middle of the floor from yesterday.

_Where did mine go? Oh yeah, I kicked it out of the way. That's another thing I have to sort out. That ass Logan is definitely getting the bill. Although, it kind of worked out well in the end._

Memories of last night race through my mind.

* * *

**_Max's deft fingers exploring, her small gentle kisses on my neck and shoulder, her nails lightly scratching at my back, her hands gently tugging at my hair…_ **

* * *

As I remember, I smile to myself. When I focus my attention back to Max, I see her grinning at me. I narrow my eyes suspiciously at her, “What are you smiling at?”

Max beams at me, “I'm smiling because you are. When you're happy, I'm happy,” her blue eyes are trained on me.

_Of course Max would say something as dorky as that… not that it's unappreciated by any means. That's how it should be._

“I was just… thinking about last night,” I mumble.

Max goes pink at the mention, but her smile doesn't fade, “Well, it's something we should be happy about.”

_Max has grown so much since the first time. Before, she would have questioned herself and hesitated. Now, she sounds confident and assertive. I've changed too because of Max. I feel more comfortable with myself in general. When someone accepts you for you, without wanting to change a single thing, it's really liberating._

“Definitely,” I squeeze her hand, “I'm so glad our week off starts today. Let's face it, no-one would have turned up to class after the party, at least not in a presentable state.”

Max rubs her face with her hand as her brow furrows, “Yeah, I have to admit I kind of have a headache now.”

_Max probably doesn't drink too much normally, if at all._

I shift closer the Max and wrap my arms around her, placing a kiss to her cheek, “Now, I get to lay in bed all day with my amazing girl.”

Max beams at me then clears her throat, her smile slowly fading and replaced by worry, “Um… Victoria.”

“Yes, Max.”

She bites her lip nervously and swallows hard, “A-about next week…”

_This should be interesting._

I give her a gentle squeeze, “Go on.”

I lay there, waiting patiently for her to say whatever she needs to say. She suddenly finds my hand very interesting, shifting her gaze down to it as she reaches down and plays with my fingers. She gently pushes against them with her own, moving them from side to side and examining my red nail polish.

_Which reminds me, I'll have to change the color later. Maybe I could ask Max to give me a hand. I’ll probably end up regretting it, but she might surprise me. Who knows? I have a feeling her clumsiness might come into play here. She'll probably end up with some on her eyebrow or something knowing her. Why am I saying probably? It would definitely happen._

The mental image causes me to smile. Max exhales, closing her eyes momentarily then looks up from our hands, “Well… my parents are coming over at the beginning of the week and… I told them about… us. They said… they said they want to meet you. It's probably too early for that kind of stuff, I'm not great at knowing the socially acceptable time to do that kind of thing and all but…” she cuts herself off and worries her lip between her teeth.

_Max always over thinks things too much. She can't help it though. Why should we listen to how we are "supposed" to date? We should take things at our own pace, do what we want to do, not let some stupid teen magazine logic dictate when things are "ok" to do. Every relationship is different. You have to talk about it and play it by ear. If Max's parents want to meet me, then I'd be more than happy to do just that. I'm interested to see what her parents are like anyway._

Max stumbles over her words, “I mean, you… d-don't have to if you don't want to or anything… it's…” I silence her with my lips. Without hesitation, she shifts closer and places her arms around me as she kisses me back, pulling me closer to get as much contact as possible.

_Another testament as to how much Max has really changed. Before, she would have probably sat there in a daze, surprised that I had just randomly kissed her. She just goes with the flow a bit more now. I guess that means she is more comfortable around me._

I pull away from her and stare deeply into her eyes, “I'd love to Max. Besides…” I nudge her arm playfully, “I need to meet them to thank them for having such an amazing daughter.”

She shakes her head, failing to suppress a smile, “I think you might be as embarrassing as they are.”

I bump my forehead against hers, “What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't embarrass you, especially in front of your parents?”

Max laughs, expressing her genuine happiness, “I'll remind you of that later when I do something uber-embarrassing.”

_Max can't hide her feelings at all, which is nice in a way. I don't have to keep my guard up around her. If she's happy, she laughs and smiles. If she loves something, she embraces it. She isn't ashamed or worried what others will think. She is herself 24/7… not like I used to be. Ever since Max has walked into my life, I've tried to change that. I want to show her that I enjoy her company, I want her to know all my secrets and likes… and I want to know hers._

I glance at her amusedly, “So what? In the next thirty seconds.”

Max laughs, “Damn, you are so evil,” her eyes sparkle at me, those vibrant blue eyes…

* * *

**Day 34**

**Max's POV** **\- Blackwell Grounds – 11:43 am**

I walk towards the dorm alongside my parents. It's been so long since I've seen them so I went outside to greet them. Dad actually picked me up and whirled me around like when I was little. I'm actually surprised he managed it. Mom hugged me really tight.

As we make our way to the Prescott Dorm building, a sense of apprehension begins to appear in the pit of my stomach, “Please don't embarrass me, dad,” I plead, knowing my words are falling on deaf ears.

His eyes hold a glint of mischief, “Would I do that to my little girl?”

_Uh… yes._

I sigh, “I'm hardly little anymore. And yes… yes you would.”

He grins at me cheekily, “You know me too well. I'll be on my best behaviour. Scout's honor.”

_Something tells me I'm going to get annihilated out there._

“I'll believe that when I see it,” I mutter.

Dad chuckles at my skeptical tone, “I promise Max, I won't do or say anything to cramp your style.”

_I highly doubt that. I guess that's why parents are here though._

We enter the dorm and walk up the stairs to the girl’s dorms. When we get to the top, we enter through the double doors into the hallway. A door just ahead of us to our left opens up, Room 224. Out walks a figure I know well, a tall girl with mid-length blue hair, a punk fashion sense and a mischievous grin. The moment my parents see her, they break out into a toothy grin.

“Chloe! My, how you've grown,” mom comments.

“I'm digging the hair,” dad chuckles heartily.

Chloe holds up a hand and beams just as widely back, “Hey Mr and Mrs C. Long time no see.”

Mom and dad go up to her and give her a hug, one Chloe returns. My parents haven’t seen Chloe in almost five years and in that time she’s changed so much, almost beyond the point of recognition. In many ways, mostly physical, she is no longer the cheeky teen with long blonde hair they remember. However, deep down she is pretty much the same girl I knew from childhood just with different experiences.

Mom tilts her head curiously at Chloe, “Are you here at Blackwell?”

Chloe rubs the back of her neck and smiles sheepishly, “Not really, no. I kind of got kicked out, but my girlfriend goes here, so I spend quite a lot of time at Blackwell.”

Mom and dad exchange impressed glances, “Oooh, a girlfriend, huh?”

A cheerful voice comes from the room, “Did someone mention the beautiful and ethereal being who is me?” Rachel pokes her head out grinning from ear to ear.

Chloe playfully taps her on the head, “You wish.”

Rachel puts on an expression of mock hurt, “Ouch, Priceless. You are brutal today,” she laughs as she walks out of the room and stands beside Chloe, her long blonde hair swishing as she moves.

Chloe motions towards her with her thumb, “This is my…” she uses air quotation marks, “…’beautiful and ethereal’ girlfriend, Rachel.”

Rachel laughs, “That's better, Priceless.”

Dad chuckles heartily, “It seems you've got Chloe well trained, a task that is not achieved by many.”

Chloe looks defiant, crossing her arms and pouting, “No-one can train me.”

Rachel gives her a look of mild amusement and skepticism, “Uh-huh. Sure.”

Chloe winks at us, “Anyway, we'll leave you guys to it,” she goes to enter the room, but pauses and turns back to us, “Maybe we could come visit you guys at some point. I haven't seen Max's new house before.”

Mom gives Chloe and Rachel a warm smile, “You'd both be more than welcome to come over.”

With that, Chloe and Rachel head on back into Rachel’s room, nudging each other and giggling as they disappear. We continue down the corridor to my dorm room. As we reach it, I open the door to find Victoria sat on my bed, playing with her phone.

When she hears the door creak, she shoves her phone in her pocket and makes her way over to us with a huge smile on her face.

“You must be Victoria,” my mom reaches out her hand.

Victoria takes it and they shake, “Yes, Mrs Caulfield.”

Mom lets out a laugh, “There's no need to be so formal, please call me Vanessa and my husband is Ryan,” Dad nods in recognition.

“Sure, Vanessa.”

_At least no-one seems to be going out of their way to embarrass me… but the night is still young._

Mom takes a good long look at Victoria and after a few seconds beams at her, “Well, aren't you pretty?”

_Dog, I can't believe she just said that. I spoke way too soon._

I hide my face in my hands in embarrassment, “Mom!”

She looks over at me innocently, “What? Did I say something wrong?”

_I hadn't considered mom being the embarrassing one. A small flaw in my plan. I really should have considered it._

Victoria laughs heartily. At the sound, I remove my hands from my face and feel a smile tug at the corner of my lips as I watch her. It really is a sight to behold when she is so carefree and relaxed. I will never tire of it or hear it enough. Victoria composes herself enough to speak again, “Thank you Vanessa, but Max is the really pretty one here,” she places an arm around me and pulls me closer.

_Oh no. She is not getting away with that. We had a huge disagreement about this a few days ago. We had called a truce… it seems Victoria has officially broken it._

“Don't you even start this argument again,” I playfully threaten.

Dad ruffles my hair, leaving it dishevelled and winks at me, “You did good kid. I'm impressed.”

“Oh dog, not you too,” I mumble as I rub my face with my hand.

_If a hole in the ground could appear right now and swallow me, that would be great, thanks._

When I look back up, I can Victoria smiling at us warmly. She has this kind of distant expression on her face as she watches us. Something about it is almost… sad. As I wonder what she’s thinking, Mom inspects my room with disgust, “I'm glad to see you're as tidy as ever.”

_This is the first time they've been over. It's been hard for them to get the time off work to come down here. I’m so glad they managed to get down here. I’ve missed them a lot._

I motion to the floor, “Hey, this is clean for me,” I protest.

Mom sighs, “I know. That's the sad part. It's been much worse at home,” she turns to Victoria, “I don't think Max's room at home is actually safe to live in.”

Victoria nods and looks over at me with wry amusement, “I can believe that.”

“Hey!”

Victoria holds her hands up and grins, “I'm just basing it on what I've seen and I'm sure that's not it at its worst.”

_It's obviously "gang up on Max day" today._

Dad takes a step forward, breaking us up, “I don't know about you two, but I am starving. Let us take you both out for lunch.”

_Dad and Chloe are so alike it's kind of scary. Both of them make it their mission to embarrass me, sure it's in different ways, but both are just as bad as each other. Both have a black hole for a stomach… seriously between them they have managed to eat literally all the food in our house. Both have done really stupid shit, and I mean **really** stupid. I'm surprised that either of them have survived this long to be honest. They encourage each other. _

Victoria waves away their offer, “You are too kind. There really is no need.”

_Mom and dad aren't so easily deterred. They rival Chloe on stubbornness, and that's saying something._

“We insist,” mom says, refusing to let it go. She sure can be persistent when she wants to be, something I learned the hard way.

Victoria shrugs resignedly, then smiles gratefully at her, “Well, I won't turn down free food, thanks.”

* * *

**Café – 1:30 pm**

We are all sat in a small café, one I used to come with my parents to all the time as a kid. We used to come here so often that they knew us on a first name basis. In fact, when my parents walked in, the owner recognized them and had a long chat about how we were doing and asking what Seattle was like.

_I always forget how long it’s been since we lived here._

I have of course ordered coffee and Belgian waffles, no surprises there. They aren't as good as Joyce's, but that is an impossible task for anyone to achieve. Victoria got the same as me as she is surprisingly indecisive when it comes to food.

We are sat next to each other in the booth with mom and dad sat opposite. Mom stares out of the window as she sips at her coffee, “It's been so long since we've been back here,” she takes a few moments to scan the world outside, then turns back to us. She picks up a fork and begins to dig into her food, “Victoria, you're on the photography course with Max, right?”

Victoria nods, swallowing her food, “I am.”

Dad takes a sip of his coffee, “Max has been sketchy on the details of how you met. I assume it was in the class.”

Victoria looks grateful that I didn't tell the whole embarrassing tale. I'll leave that to her if she wants to. She has relayed it so many times already that I think she deserves a moment of respite from the whole thing.

_At least it's something we will look back on and laugh about. I'm sure I'll end up doing something just as embarrassing at some point. To be fair, I'm surprised I haven't already. It's only a matter of time._

I lift up my mug and feel the warmth of the mug against my skin. I swirl the coffee around, trying not to spill it as Victoria shifts in her seat, “Yeah, kind of.”

Mom smiles at us, “I knew Blackwell would be a good move.”

I follow mom’s lead and begin to work my way through my waffles.

_So good. How can anyone not like waffles?_

Mom, dad and Victoria all stifle giggles as I eat. I tilt my head curiously at them, “What?”

Victoria reaches out and wipes something off near my mouth then shows me her finger. There is ice cream on it. She licks it off her finger, “Your mouth is right there, Max,” she runs her thumb over my lips to demonstrate, “Just in case you didn’t realize.”

I roll my eyes at her, unable to come up with a decent comeback, “Oh ha, ha.”

Dad shakes his head, a small smile beginning to form on his lips as he rips open a sugar packet and dumps the contents in his cup, “I think you're picking up bad habits from Chloe.”

I scoff, “No-one can be as bad as Chloe.”

Mom nods in agreement, “That is true. I don't know how that girl does it,” she turns to Victoria, propping her chin on her hands, “Hopefully, Max will learn from you how to eat properly. I've been trying for the best part of eighteen years and it still hasn't sunk in.”

“I'll do my best to teach her,” Victoria says as she takes a bite of her waffles without getting it round her mouth.

_I really don't get how people do it. I always either spill some or it ends up on my face._

I put on an expression of mock betrayal, “Are you selling out on me, Miss Chase?”

Victoria shrugs as she pokes the waffle with her fork, “Sorry, the lure of free food is too much.”

I playfully push her shoulder, “Traitor!”

We continue to make small talk about Blackwell, Arcadia and about us, among other things. I zone out for a bit, the steam from my coffee swirling in the air, my plate mostly empty. As I go to take a sip from my mug, I feel something nudge my foot and I nearly spill coffee everywhere from the shock. Everyone looks at me and laughs at my near accident, “I think someone has had too much coffee,” dad teases lightly.

After a few seconds, I feel the nudging again and look down surreptitiously to see Victoria's foot pushing mine. When I look up at her, her eyes hold a mischievous glint and smiles discreetly at me.

_Goddamn it. She could have warned me._

I nudge her foot back and roll my eyes at her playfully. Her smile widens as she continues to gently push my foot from side to side.

Mom leans closer to us, “I hope you guys are planning to use the week off to your advantage.”

Victoria nods excitedly, still playing with my foot under the table, “Oh yes, we plan on going lots of places together. Right, Max?”

_We sure have a lot planned. I hope we can fit it all in._

I blow on my coffee and take a sip before replying, “Yeah. It's going to be great. We have a few things planned with other people and then the rest of the time we’ll be spending together on our own.”

Dad downs the rest of his coffee and places his now empty cup on the table with a quiet thud and leans back in the booth, “That's good to hear. I would be disappointed if you wasted the opportunity.”

Mom gathers her cutlery together and puts in on her plate, “You should go on some walks on the beach and all those other lovely coupley things.”

_Deep down I am such a soppy romantic, so it is almost certain that we will be doing that._

“We’ve already been up to the lighthouse and taken some pictures,” I mention.

Mom and dad smile and excitement enters their eyes, “Mind if we see them?”

I rootle around in my bag and locate them, spreading them out on the table in front of my parents, “Go ahead.”

_I need to remember to stick them up on my memorial wall later. I’ve been kind of carrying them around ever since we took them._

My dad carefully picks up a few of the photos and shuffles through them, his lips quirking upwards into a smiles as he looks them over.

_It's kind of weird to talk about this stuff with my parents. I guess it's because this kind of thing hasn't ever really happened before. I have never been too bothered about love and stuff and I wasn't really looking for anyone in my life. I mean, sure I am so glad it's happened now with Victoria. I wouldn't take that back for anything. I guess that's how it happens sometimes._

Mom looks down at the remaining photos spread out on the table, a gentle expression forming on her face as she examines them, “Don't you guys look so cute?”

Victoria gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, “Yep.”

* * *

**Blackwell Parking Lot – 3:00 pm**

We cross the parking lot, a strange feeling passing over me as we approach my parent’s car.

_This is always the hard bit. The first day was so weird. I'd been so used to being with my parents all that time and then suddenly that was it. It's not like they can visit easily. Things change, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse… you just have to adapt as best you can. Blackwell has turned out to be a very good thing so far._

When we finally reach the car, Mom gives me a huge hug, “Max, you look after Victoria, ok? And yourself of course.”

I roll my eyes, “Yes mom. I will.”

Mom pulls away from me and walks up to Victoria, hugging her. Victoria seems really shocked at first, but she soon returns mom's hug, “Victoria, if you ever need a way to instantly win an argument, we have access to some interest photos that could somehow make their way over to Blackwell if you need them.”

“Jeez, mom.”

Victoria glances over at me and smirks as they break apart, “I'll keep that in mind.”

_Victoria seems to be taking too much pleasure in watching me squirm. She’s going to be insufferable now she has ammo against me._

Dad winks at her, “I'll spare you one of my bone-crushing hugs. I think Vanessa has done enough damage for all of us,” he holds out his hand and Victoria shakes it, “You'll have to come to Seattle at some point. We would really love to have you over there.”

Victoria beams at them, “That's sounds great. I would like that,” she puts an arm around my waist and I lean my head against her shoulder as mom and dad get in the car. They wave at us before driving away. I kind of feel a bit sad that they’ve gone, but it’s not like I’m alone. I have Victoria here with me. So long as she is by my side I could never feel alone.

I exhale deeply as I take my head off her shoulder and begin walking back to the Prescott dormitory, “Well, that was eventful.”

_All in all, that went pretty smoothly._

As we amble down the well-travelled path to the dorm building, Victoria reaches out and grabs hold of my hand. A slight breeze ruffles my hair, the gravel crunches under my feet as we head onto the main part of the campus grounds.

_It's so peaceful around here._

Several people are dotted around the grounds taking full advantage of the sunshine. Alyssa is sat on a bench reading one of her many books, I swear I don't ever see her without one. A few students lay on their back staring up at the sky and sunbathing while others chat and goof around. Brooke's drone whirs past us as I glance over at Justin and Trevor skating around and showing off their skills…

_If only it could just stay like this forever._

I can see a few people glancing at us every now and then as we walk hand in hand towards the dormitory. Ever since the Vortex Club party, both Victoria and I have been receiving much more attention than usual.

_I guess everyone must know now, not that I care. Let them think what they want. I doubt anyone would dare mess with Victoria, not if they value their life anyway._

I ignore their inquisitive and sometimes disbelieving looks as we finally reach the building. We enter the dorm and climb the steps to the girl’s dorm. The hallway before us is empty, most of the residents outside in the sunshine. Victoria pushes on my door and enters my room, making a b-line for my bed and perching herself on the edge. She sits there in silence.

_She obviously has something on her mind._

I follow her in and sit myself down beside her, the bed dipping as I get settled. I reach over and take her hand, gently rubbing it with my thumb, “Victoria, are you ok?”

She snaps her head up to face me, breaking out of her trance. After a moment, that distant expression I had seen earlier returns, “Yeah… yeah… it's just…” she sighs deeply, “Your parents are great.”

“You think so?”

Victoria absentmindedly plays with my hand, “Yeah. I don't… really see mine much. They are always out on gallery showings and meetings, sometimes in different countries. It's nice to see that yours try really hard to see you. Even if they have a lot of things on,” she looks a little sad at these words.

_She hasn't talked much about her parents. Every time the topic came up, she had little more to offer than their jobs and how they were always travelling. It must have been lonely. Maybe that's why she and Nathan are as close as they are. They probably got left on their own a lot. You find your family wherever you can._

My mind wanders back to how happy my parents looked today. They certainly seemed to like Victoria and it’s obvious that she liked them too. It was really cool to see them getting along so well.

_I have a feeling mom and dad are going to treat Victoria as their own daughter. They always told me they wanted to have another kid, but they never did. What was it they always used to say? "Max, you are more than enough trouble and joy for both of us."_

“Well, feel free to take mine,” I grin.

Victoria intertwines her fingers with mine, “I might just take you up on that offer.”

I shift closer to Victoria and rest my head on her shoulder.

_This is where being the short one comes in handy._

I look up at her, trying to think of the right words to say in this situation to make her smile again, “I promise you that if I go off gallivanting around the world to seek my fame and fortune, that you'll be coming with me. Every step of the way,” I wink at her, “Whether you like it or not. I'm dragging you along with me and I won't take no for an answer.”

She offers me the most genuine smile I have ever seen from her, “Going anywhere with you is fine by me.”

I place my head back on her shoulder and she gently strokes my hair. I take her hand and place a small kiss on it.

_I guess she's finally found the thing she needed… the same thing that I found with her… something we all need…_

_…to feel like we belong._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Kajeha for the Victoria meeting Max’s parents idea. Always a nice addition to any fanfiction. Are we all psyched to see the week off? It’s going to be very eventful. See you amazing people next time.


	15. Camera Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Victoria enjoy there week off. What will they get up to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back guys. I hope you’re all doing good today. This chapter will have some NSFW stuff in it.  
> Enjoy

**Chapter Fifteen: Camera Talk**

**Day 35**

**Max's POV** **\- Max's Room – 11:38 am**

My phone vibrates impatiently on my bedside table, no doubt more not-so-subtly nudges from Chloe to hurry up. I reach over a check it to find exactly what I had been expecting, a barrage of texts, each only a few seconds apart from one another.

**Chloe: Maaaaaaax!**

**Chloe: Come on**

**Chloe: We are all waiting on you**

**Chloe: If you don't hurry up, I'll come in and drag your ass out of there**

**Chloe: I mean it, Caulfield**

**Chloe: Don’t make me come in there, young lady**

_Good to see Chloe is as impatient as ever._

I reply back before Chloe explodes from impatience.

**Max: Nearly done :)**

**Chloe: NO EMOJI!!!!!**

I shake my head at her impatience and continue getting ready to meet the others in the Blackwell parking lot.

_Here starts my jam packed week off. First on the agenda is a trip to the beach. Initially, Victoria and I were just going to go, but then Chloe overheard and before you know it, basically the whole of Blackwell is invited… not that I mind too much. This should pacify her enough for the entire week. She promised me that if I did this, she wouldn’t interfere with the rest of Victoria and my plans. Only time will tell…_

I grab my bag from the floor and stuff my phone, purse, sun cream and camera in it, then sling it over my shoulder. What would Max Caulfield be without her trusty camera after all? I've just put my clothes over the top of my swimming stuff, something Chloe and Rachel helped me pick out the other day.

* * *

**Day 33**

**2:00 pm**

Chloe and Rachel sit on my bed, watching me rootle around in the bottom of my drawer in search of my long lost swim suit. It’s been so long since I’ve needed to wear one that I have no idea what state it’s in right now.

_Only one way to find out I guess._

Rachel twirls a strand of her long blonde hair around her finger as she waits for me, “I am intrigued to see what our dear Max thinks constitutes swimwear.”

Chloe grins toothily, her legs crossed as she sits on my bed, “Me too. I'm hella excited.”

After a few moments of searching, I finally find my old swimsuit and dig it out of the depths of my closet to show Chloe and Rachel. On having seen the swimsuit, they exchange brief glances and Chloe shakes her head firmly, “No way, Maxaroni. We are getting you a new costume.”

I hold it up to me, “What's wrong with it?”

She raises her eyebrows incredulously at me, then eyes the swimsuit with mild disapproval, “What _isn't_ wrong with it?”

Rachel gets up off my bed and saunters over to me, a sly smirk on her face, “Don't you want Victoria to… enjoy it?”

I blush slightly at the implication, “En-enjoy?”

Chloe playfully pushes my arm, “Yes Hippie, show off a bit of skin. I bet the Queen Bitch of Blackwell will be flaunting off her assets... you need a bit of give and take.”

_I guess I could…_

After thinking it over for a few seconds, I reluctantly concede, “Fine.”

They high five and Rachel grins, “Let's make you a star.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” I mumble as they excitedly drag me along by my arm out of my room to the parking lot.

Chloe scoffs at my apprehension, “Oh come on, Max. Have a little faith.”

* * *

This particular decision is one I am half regretting now. I swear they just came along so they could make fun of me.

_Too late to regret the choice now. It could have been way worse. If all else fails, I can just wear my hoodie over the top. It's not like it’s horrible, it's just that I don't know if I can pull it off… Victoria could easily._

I sigh deeply and decide to get moving before I get swarmed by texts again. I mentally check I have everything I need and run out of the door, almost falling over several times in my excitement.

_I wonder what Victoria will be wearing…_

I shake my head vigorously to shake the questionable mental images from my mind.

_Mind out of the gutter, Max._

I make my way from the Prescott dorm building and across the main part of campus to the parking lot. In the distance, I can see everyone waiting over the other side. When they finally notice I’m here, they cheer and wave until I reach the small group. Along for the ride are me, Victoria, Chloe, Rachel, Kate, Taylor, Courtney, Dana, Juliet, Nathan and Warren. Everyone else was either busy or didn't fancy it.

“Finally,” Chloe sighs as she grabs my arm excitedly and pulls me over to her beat up truck, “Let's get this show on the road, come on Mad Max.”

Another hand stops me, pulling me the other way. I look over to see Victoria staring down Chloe, “Uh, excuse you. Put her back, Price.”

Chloe stares at me pleadingly, “Max is totally coming with me and Rach… right, Max? You wouldn't abandon me again?”

_Damn. That was harsh._

“Ouch, low blow, Chloe.”

Victoria draws herself to her fullest height, “Price, there is no way on this planet that I am letting Max go with anyone else. Besides, you don't have enough room, unless you plan on strapping Max to the roof.”

_Sounds like something Chloe would try… the very thought terrifies me._

Chloe seems to be considering this option for a moment. She opens her mouth to protest, but then closes it, sighing in defeat and letting go of my arm, “Fine, whatevs. You owe me big time, Chase.”

_That was very un-Chloe like behaviour. Usually she gets so possessive… especially over me._

She turns back, her hands shoved in her pockets, “Are we going or what?”

We all pile into the various cars. Chloe and Rachel get into her truck, Victoria, Taylor, Courtney and I get into Victoria's car, the others pile into Warren's car, which is a very tight squeeze. After about half an hour of driving, all the while Victoria's knee bumping against mine, an action I'm not sure was on purpose or by accident, we finally make it to the beach. We park up and all bail out, the poor people stuffed in Warren’s car stretching out and groaning from the uncomfortable journey.

I take a moment to inspect my surroundings. The sun glistens on the surface of the water, the waves lapping at the shore. Seagulls lazily swoop overhead as the wind whips my hair around. The old lighthouse is visible in the distance.

Chloe immediately whips off her clothes, exposing a black bikini with orange bottoms. She turns back to Rachel, who is not too far behind her decked out in a bright blue matching bikini set, and smirks challengingly, “Race you!”

“You’re on, Priceless,” Rachel shouts as she sprints off to the edge of the water, sand kicking up behind her as she runs. Since Chloe instigated the race, she has a significant head start and sure enough moments later she wades into the water way ahead of Rachel, who stands there with her arms crossed as she pouts, “No fair, Priceless. You cheated.”

Chloe puts on an expression of mock hurt and places a hand on her chest, “Me? Cheated? Perish the thought.”

I shake my head, smiling at their competitive streak. Taylor and Courtney set down their towels and start applying sun cream, getting ready for a major sun tan session. Kate, who is wearing a green bikini set, with a large hat and sunglasses, takes a bucket and spade out of the trunk of Warren’s “vintage” car. She grins at me innocently when she catches my eye. Warren and Nathan strip down to their swimming trunks and run to the sea. They cannonball into it, completely drenching Chloe and Rachel. After several agitated cries for revenge, all four of them are caught up in a splash war. I can't help but chuckle at them.

_At least they look like they are having fun._

Dana drags Juliet over to the middle of the beach and sets up a kind of court with everyone’s discarded clothing. She produces a ball, causing Juliet to roll her eyes, but she still helps to mark out lines with her foot.

_Guess it's my turn to get undressed…_

As I take off my jeans and t-shirt, I hear a wolf whistle coming from the water, one I assume came from Chloe. I shake my head as the others laugh and mutter among themselves. I can’t help but feel a little self-conscious about having this much of myself on display for everyone to see, but it’s not like anyone here would make fun of me or anything. After taking a calming breath, I turn around and almost bump into Victoria. My heart jumps in my chest at her sudden presence, “Jeez, Victoria. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

She offers me an apologetic smile as she moves to face me, “Sorry, Max.”

My eyes fall on her red bikini set, exposing so much of her pale skin. I lick my lips, looking down at my bare feet to hide the painfully obvious blush on my cheeks.

_The bikini really suits her. I bet mine looks stupid on me._

I clear my throat, glancing up shyly at her, “You look… nice.”

_Understatement of the year._

Victoria laughs, “Thanks. You do too,” she tilts her head curiously as her lip quirks up in amusement, “I must admit, I wasn't expecting you to wear something like this.”

I feel her eyes on me and glance up, catching another glimpse of her.

_She really is just… breath taking._

I swallow to wet my suddenly dry throat as a tingling sensation spreads out through my body. I ignore these weird occurrences and press on, “Yeah, neither did I. Chloe and Rachel dragged me to a store and helped me pick out some new swimwear.”

Victoria gives me a once over, her eyes lingering on my chest for a moment longer than anywhere else, “I have to give it to them, they did a good job.”

“Y-you think?” I ask, anxious to know what she thinks about how I look right now.

She takes my hand and plants a small kiss on the back of it, “It always helps to have a gorgeous model of course,” she rummages around in the bag slung over her shoulder, takes out some sun cream and carefully begins to apply some to her skin. I watch her curiously as she rubs it in, then she turns back to me, “Max, can you get my back please?”

“S-sure,” I take the bottle from her with shaking hands and manage to squirt out way too much.

_I bet if Chloe could see this, she'd make some dirty joke right now._

I glance over at Chloe, who thankfully is too busy trying to get revenge on Nathan and Warren for soaking her earlier. I wipe a bit of the excess cream onto my arm and start to rub it into her back, my hands gliding over the soft skin of her shoulders and down the rest of her back. After I'm satisfied it's all rubbed in… and maybe a little bit of time after, I remove my hands from her back, “There.”

Victoria spins me round and whispers in my ear, “Your turn.”

She takes a little of the cream in her hands and deftly rubs the cold substance onto my back. At her touch my body shivers, causing her to chuckle lightly as she applies the cream. After this oddly intimate interlude, she takes my hand and leads me over to the water’s edge.

Chloe notices we are coming and waves us over excitedly, “Max, don't just stand there like a zombie. Come on in.”

We wade into the water and head on over to where Chloe and the others are stood waist deep in the sea. As I paddle over Chloe splashes me violently, the salty water almost getting in my mouth and eyes, “Don’t you dare!”

She grins cheekily as I approach, aiming another well-timed splash straight at me, “Come stop me, hippie.”

I splash her back and before we know it the “hella splish splash war” as Chloe put it is on. The teams are Chloe and Rachel vs Warren and Nathan vs me and Victoria. It's fair to say we all get drenched, the water feeling cool on my skin which is nice considering how warm it is today. It's debatable as to whether anyone actually won, but Chloe and Victoria got into a "heated debate" about it, which resulted in Rachel stealing Victoria's bikini bra much to her disgust, ransoming it for her admittance of defeat. Victoria eventually agreed to the terms and was less than a gracious loser.

Finally, Chloe appears to have worn herself out. She races out of the water, shaking off like a dog, “I'm gonna get some ice cream. Anyone else want anything?”

This offer is met by a whole cascade of requests. Chloe takes a mental note of everything and walks up to me, tapping me on the shoulder, “Will you escort me, Max? Or do you have to get permission from the missus first?” she jabs her thumb in Victoria's direction, who crosses her arms at Chloe's statement.

_It's good to see these two getting on as good as ever. I'd best go with Chloe this time. I’ll never hear the end of it otherwise._

I turn to Victoria and stand on my tip-toes to her a kiss on the cheek, “I'll be back soon.”

She nods and briefly brushes my hand, “You'd better,” she walks over to where Taylor and Courtney are laying sunbathing, who immediately sit up and start chatting with her animatedly.

Rachel goes over to Kate, who is in the process of making quite the impressive sandcastle. Kate seems to be instructing Rachel, the wind carrying over part of their conversation, “I like bossy Kate.”

Kate shakes her head and smiles, “Honestly, Rachel.”

Rachel grins and kneels down, following Kate's strict instructions, which is a strange sight to behold. Warren and Nathan have joined Dana and Juliet in the beach ball game. They are getting creamed out there. Chloe towels herself off and passes it over to me, getting in her truck as is.

_Just like her, no shame._

I dry myself off and, not feeling as daring as Chloe, throw my hoodie on. I open the passenger’s side door and flop down onto the chair. Once I am buckled up, Chloe shoves the key in the ignition and starts the truck up. The trees rush past the window, becoming a hazy blur as she drives down the main street towards the nearest store. She fiddles around with the radio for a while, then eventually gives up when it refuses to pick up a signal, instead turning to me, “Lots going on today, huh?”

I lean back in the seat, “You could say that.”

_It's been fun. We don't often all manage to get together with school and all._

Chloe shifts in her chair to get more comfortable and looks over at me again, her voice a bit hesitant, “You and Victoria seem to be getting on… well.”

_Yeah. I'm glad for that. It's a shame that Victoria and Chloe can't… oh well. I wouldn't change either of them._

“The opposite could be said of you and her,” I observe.

Chloe sighs, running her fingers through her still damp faded blue hair, “Look, we may never be hella best friends forever or anything, but we are both trying to get along, Max. This is nothing compares to how we used to argue.”

_I can imagine._

She clears her throat, “Besides, if you like her then she can't be that bad…” a mischievous glint enters her azure blue eyes, “unless you're just after the booty, in which case I'd get why you'd tolerate her bitch attitude.”

I playfully nudge her and shake my head, “It's not like that.”

She glances over at me hesitantly, “What **_is_** it like, then?”

I shift in my seat, playing with the bands on my wrist as I gather my thoughts, “Well, I mean… I like her and I guess she likes me… well, I hope so anyway. We're just kind of taking things one step at a time and seeing where it goes.”

Chloe nods, “I can respect that. I'm glad you guys aren't rushing into anything and she hella likes you. Trust me. It’s painfully obvious,” she is silent for a few moments, seemingly deep in thought then she suddenly speaks up again, “You know, I never thought anyone would ever be good enough for you, besides me of course but, maybe…” she drums her fingers on the steering wheel, exhaling sharply, “…maybe Victoria is a good enough substitute.”

I look over her in wry amusement, “Is that your way of saying she ok?”

She grins at me, “Yep. And yes, that's the best you're getting from me,” she focuses her eyes back on the road ahead, her tone cautious as she continues, “Look, I'm trying to give you guys a bit of space, you know. I know I get hella possessive over you, but I just… want you to be happy. You're my best friend, hell basically you're my sister and…” her eyes become steely as she mumbles the next part, “I don't want anyone fucking around with you.”

_I think this is the most unguarded I have seen Chloe since we were little. It's good to know she has my back._

I smile to myself, “I am happy, Chloe. I promise. You’d be the first to know if I wasn’t, trust me.”

She glances over at me, her expression difficult to read, “Good then,” she pulls up at the store and looks over to me with a wide smile, “Now that that mushy shit it out of the way… let's get that ice cream.”

* * *

When we get back to the beach, there is an all-out beach ball competition going on. Dana and Juliet vs. Warren and Nathan vs. Taylor and Courtney vs. Rachel and Kate, with Victoria umpiring. It would appear that Rachel and Kate are wiping the floor with the competition. Rachel pelts balls at her opponents with impressive force, causing them to run away in fear, while Kate's precision and tight shots land them a few points. When they see Chloe and I walking back over, everyone abandons the game in order to view the goodies. We pass out the various orders and all sit there on the sandy beach, happily eating and drinking. Victoria sits down beside me on the sand a little way from the others, her hand brushing against mine.

“Having fun?” I ask as I try not to let the ice cream drip all over me.

She smiles at me warmly, “Yeah. This has been more fun than I thought it would be.”

_It's been so long since I've actually been to Arcadia's beach. Sure, it's not the Bahamas or anything, but at least for the most part it's ok._

I inhale the salty sea air, “Well, it ended up being better than I expected too. I was so sure you and Chloe would have murdered each other by now.”

Victoria shakes her head, a small smile forming on her lips, “They is still time,” she licks at her ice cream daintily as we stare out over the beach. After a while, she looks back over at me again, “She's a good friend.”

_What the hell would make her say that? I thought they hated each other._

I almost drop my ice cream at her admission, “What makes you say that?”

She clears her throat and shrugs, “She and I had a chat, a slightly tense one, but a chat nonetheless.”

_Did she? When did she do that?_

A sudden pang of worry enters the pit of my stomach at what Chloe might have said to Victoria, “What did she have to say?”

A smile tugs at the corners of her lips as her brown eyes glistening with amusement, “She told me, and I quote, that if I ‘fuck around with you’ that she will ‘shove an entire tree branch up my ass’.”

I burst out laughing, almost dropping the remainder of my ice cream again as I swipe at the tears falling from my eyes, “What the fuck?”

Victoria shrugs, “I have no clue where that came from, but it just goes to show that she does care…” she pauses for a moment, staring over at Chloe who is trying to get Rachel to relinquish the rest of her ice cream with limited success, “I don't need to like her per se, but I can respect her for that at the very least.”

_I reckon having Victoria Chase’s respect is much harder to get than her liking you._

I place my hand over Victoria's on the sand, “Nathan had a similar chat with me.”

She raises an eyebrow questioningly, “Did he now?”

I nod, “Yep. Minus the whole threat of the tree branch of course.”

Victoria chuckles to herself as we look out over the beach at the others. They have decided to resume their game with Chloe taking over from Victoria as referee, who is visibly enjoying every moment she has the power. Every so often she glances our way and waves, sometimes missing some of the action which annoys everyone to no end, especially when someone finally gets a point against Rachel and Kate. They sure are a formidable team. I swear once or twice it looks like there would be a full on fight.

_It's crazy to think about what has happen since I've come back to Arcadia._

Victoria's voice brings me back from my thoughts, “Max…”

“Yeah?”

I turn to her as she looks out to the distance, “I promise I will spend every moment trying to make you happy.”

My heart soars in my chest on hear this and I grip on tight to her hand, “I promise too,” I take this moment of respite to grab my camera from behind us and show Victoria, “How about a photo to commemorate the moment?”

Victoria places her arm around me, drawing me in closer, “I would love for nothing more.”

I raise my camera, “Say cheese.”

* * *

**Day 36**

**Lighthouse – 2:26 pm**

We sit up by the lighthouse, just Victoria and I. We packed a picnic and took the bus over here to take advantage of the exceptionally warm weather. Birds sing in the trees overhead and the leaves blow around in the wind as the sun shining brightly down on the cliff top.

_It's so peaceful here._

Victoria lays back on the blanket we brought along, watching the clouds as they slowly pass us by in the pale blue sky, “I can't believe Arcadia has such nice places like this.”

I chew my food thoughtfully, “I'm so glad it does.”

“Me too,” she agrees as I look out over the sea which peacefully laps at the cliff face, the surface of the smooth water reflecting the sun.

_This is an image I want to remember forever, a moment I could keep reliving._

Victoria nudges my side with her foot to get my attention and gives me a look that I can’t resist. I put my food down and begin crawling over to her, smiling like the complete dork I am, “Well, well, what have we here? A vulnerable Chase for the taking?”

I straddle her, much to her surprise, “Max…”

I silence her by pressing a finger over her lips, “Ah, ah. Don't ruin it by asking questions. Just go with it. You're always telling me to follow my instincts. That's what I'm doing.”

Victoria nods shyly as I reach over for my camera. I look down at her through the view finder, trying to get the best angle, to find the sweet spot. She looks up at me from the floor, her eyes full of desire and want.

_It's not a look you can easily fake. It never looks quite the same as the real deal. Photography has tried to capture the raw emotion of an image, expose everything and lay it bare for your perusal. If there is no emotion, no feeling… then can it truly be photography?_

The light in her eyes shifts slightly, that slight glint of embarrassment coming into view.

_There._

I capture the moment before it passes, immortalizing it forever. The change is very subtle, yet it rewrites the entire meaning of that look, giving the image an entirely new feeling and making it more raw and genuine.

_Behind that mask… behind all the conditioning and restraints we put on ourselves and others, you get to see the truth, not the pretty illusion you wish to see._

I place the camera to the side and lean down, capturing her lips with mine. Victoria pulls me down closer to her, moving her lips against mine. Her fingers explore my face, my neck… they move down, down my back and I slide my tongue into her mouth. This causes her hands to wander even further down, sliding into the back pocket of my jeans and pulling me as close to her as possible.

_When I first came to Blackwell, I would never have thought I would be here. Making out with a beautiful, kind hearted, talented girl out by the lighthouse… all seems too fairy tale like, doesn't it? Yet here we are and I wouldn't trade it for anything._

* * *

**Day 38**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Max's Room – 6:45 pm**

I enter Max's room to find her sitting cross-legged on her bed, pouting as she leans her head on her hand. Wondering what’s up, I sit beside her and put my arm around her, “What's up?”

Max sighs dejectedly as she stares down at something in her hands that looks like some tickets, “Chloe bailed on me. We were supposed to be going to a concert, but she cancelled last minute. I guess I'll be going alone,” she looks so disappointed.

_Damn it, Max. Don't make that face._

“Who is it?”

Her eyes brighten up a bit at my interest, “Foals, they are a really cool indie band I've been into for a while now. They do some really awesome songs, have a really cool vibe and…” her brow furrows and she sighs again, “you probably haven't heard of them.”

_Max always does that, cuts herself off. The name seems vaguely familiar. Some indie rock band if I remember correctly. I've not listened to any of their stuff._

Desperate to cheer her up by any means necessary I ask, “How about I come instead?”

Max raises an eyebrow curiously, “Wait, you… want to come?”

I shrug, “Well, it'll be nice to get to know what you're into a bit better.”

Max thinks it over for a minute, then nods and beams at me, “Ok. Yeah, it'll be fun. The concert is in about an hour, so we'd better hurry.”

* * *

**Concert Venue - 7:48 pm**

We all pile into the small area, everyone eagerly awaiting the concert’s start. While we wait, Max grabs onto my hand and leans into my ear to be heard over the chattering of the restless crowd, “Thanks for coming along, Victoria. It means a lot to me, especially seeing as how this isn’t really your scene.”

I squeeze her hand back, “No problem. As long as I get to spend time with you.”

After a long wait, the band appear on stage much to the joy of the crowd and the concert finally starts. It’s not really the usual kind of music I’m into, but something about it makes me want to just shake off all my inhibitions and throw myself around, which I actually do after a little coaxing from Max. By the end of it, I'm actually enjoying myself and it certainly seems like Max is as well. She is usually so reserved and shy so seeing her let her hair down, dancing around wildly and singing along is almost surreal. I find myself feeling glad that I agreed to come along instead of Chloe. The beat pulses through me and the vibrations fill my entire body. It's very different from the music at the Vortex Club parties, but maybe that's not a bad thing. After what seems like a never-ending stream of songs, the band leaves the stage much to the disappointment of the crowd.

As everyone starts shuffling toward the exit or the stand set up for merchandise, Max beams up at me, her eyes sparkling, “That was amazing.”

_It was definitely a very lively and energetic performance._

I slip my hand around her waist, pulling her close to me and placing a tender kiss on her forehead, “I have to admit it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.”

Max grins at me and holds up her old camera, “I know admitting you liked it would ruin your image, but could you spare the time to appease the paparazzi?”

“For you, always.”

She leans in close to me, her skin warm against mine as she lines up the shot and finally presses the button to take the photo.

**SNAP**

I snatch the picture as it comes out, inspecting it thoroughly. While the lighting isn’t the best, somehow Max has managed to take a decent photo of us.

_I’m still not sure how she does it each and every time. I don’t think I have ever seen a bad photo from her._

“Does it get the Chase seal of approval?” she questions hesitantly, obviously waiting to hear what I think about it.

I kiss her on the cheek and grin, “Definitely.”

* * *

**Day 40**

**Max's POV** **\- Max's Room – 8:00 pm**

I mindlessly tap my fingers on the desk as I stare at the blank document on my laptop screen, desperately searching my brain to find some ideas for the latest assignment for Mr Jefferson’s class.

_Come on, Max. Both Victoria and I left all our work to the last minute. Go us._

My head starts to ache and my mind wanders elsewhere as my infamous procrastination kicks in. A certain image sticks out to me, the one of Victoria in her bikini on the beach, droplets of water running down her pale skin, the curves of her body, her eyes enticing me, her…

_What am I thinking? Get your head in the game._

I slap my cheeks and shake my head, then begin furiously type incoherent sentences, anything to keep focused. Unfortunately, now that image is all I can think about. It's like it's burnt into my eyes.

_So much for getting my work done._

I sigh and lean back in my chair completely resigned to the fact that I need to see Victoria now to satisfy this weird feeling. I take my phone off of the desk, seeing several text from Chloe trying unsuccessfully to entice me over to Rachel’s room with the promise of muffins, and drop Victoria a line.

**Max: I can't work**

**Victoria: Want me to come help you?**

My heart races at the question and I almost immediately accept her offer, then my head gets in the way.

_Will I actually get any work done if she comes over? Given what is distracting me, I'm not so sure._

I stare at my phone for a second, contemplating what is the best move here.

**Max: You've finished yours?**

**Victoria: More or less**

**Max: So no then**

**Victoria: Don’t get smart with me, Caulfield**

**Max: :p sorry**

**Victoria: I suppose I can find it within myself to forgive you, but you owe me**

Now I’ve started texting her, there is no hope of getting on with my work without seeing her.

_Fuck it._

**Max: Ok, if you’re sure then just head on over**

**Victoria: Be there in a minute x**

I place my phone carefully back down on my desk and run my fingers through my mid-length brown hair, which could really do with a wash.

_I feel like I've just given my soul to Satan._

I place my head in my hands and a few seconds later feel a warm subtle pressure at my back. A familiar voice whispers to me, warm breath tickling my ear, “You ok?”

_Even her voice is making it hard to concentrate._

I look over my shoulder and kiss her nose, “Yeah, just stressing about this stupid assignment.”

As I turn back to the laptop screen, Victoria's hands find their way to my shoulders and she rubs diligently to get rid of the knots, “You do feel really tense.”

_This is not helping with my concentration at all… not that I really care._

I swallow hard and bite my lip to keep myself focused as Victoria works out the all the stress from my shoulders in a matter of minutes. When she is satisfied, she kisses the nape of my neck and pulls up a chair, “So, let's get you sorted out.”

As I work, her knee keeps bumping against mine. I keep glancing over at her, but she doesn't give it much mind. She points out a few things I could add and soon I am nearly done.

_Thanks dog for that. Just the last few finishing touches._

I feel her hand on my thigh, “Max, hurry up and finish.”

_Ok, there is no way that was an accident._

Her fingertips trace the inside of my thigh with long leisurely strokes. I try to focus on typing, but it's becoming increasingly difficult.

_Does she enjoy watching me squirm? Does she think that she can keep teasing like this and it won't have any effect on me? I mean, I'm not the most sexually driven person out there, but even I have my limits. I'm not totally naïve, I get when my body is trying to tell me something. Recently, these limits seem to have been constricting. It's strange, before I didn't even really think about much more than kissing maybe, but now…_

My foot begins to tap impatiently as her hand moves up my leg, now right at the top of my thigh, directly where my underwear starts. Her fingers stay here for a moment. I bite my lip and try to get my breathing under control, “You're not making this easy, you know.”

She whispers in my ear, “Just trying to give you some incentive to get wrapped up quickly.”

_I'm not sure if I'd be completely ready to go the full way yet, but ever since that time we came back after the party, I can't deny that I have started to feel some… weird feelings. I wonder if Victoria's trying to test the limits… she would never force me into anything, but sometimes I need a push to actually instigate anything. It's not that I don't want to, it's that I'm too nervous to._

Victoria's hand is removed from my leg, both to my relief and disappointment, and she sits on my bed, leaning back on her hand. I can feel her eyes on me, watching my every move.

_It's been over a week since we had our little… encounter. It has been on my mind quite a lot, especially recently._

I glance over at her and she gives me a small smile that makes my heart race. I run my fingers through my hair and exhale deeply.

_What is it I want now? What is this weird tingly feeling that takes over my entire body supposed to mean? It has to mean something, right? Dog, I am so bad with this._

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Victoria take off her black cashmere.

_Is she trying to get my attention…? Because it's working._

I do my best to make it seem like I’m not looking. The moment she realizes I’m faltering, I am so done for. My glances over to her get more prolonged as time pass and soon I am no longer able to pay any attention to my work.

She smirks at me smugly as she lounges on my bed, raising one of her blonde eyebrows suggestively, “You done?”

My body wishes for me to say yes, but my mind reminds me that in fact no, no I am not done. When I speak, my voice almost doesn't come out, “N-nearly.”

Victoria smiles at me coyly, “Don't keep me waiting too long, Max,” the husky quality to her voice right now is driving me nuts. My fingertips hover over the keyboard as a soft thud comes from beside my chair. I look down at the floor to see Victoria’s shoes sitting there. She must have kicked them off to get my attention again.

_How am I supposed to concentrate on my work like this? I guess that's kind of the point. Keep it together for a bit longer, Max._

Finding it every harder to ignore her, I focus my eyes on the screen and try to gather my thoughts. After a few minutes, the warm pressure at my back returns along with her warm breath at my neck. She gently kisses the nape of my neck, her teeth grazing my skin and causing me to shiver. I clench my fists, trying to keep focused as her lips move from my neck to my shoulder. She gently bites down, my eyes closing and my body almost giving in to her, but I just about manage to regain control.

_Part of me, the very small part that is freaking out about getting this stupid assignment done, wants to shrug her off. The rest wants to give in completely to her._

As she bites a little harder, I let out a faint sigh and her lips quirk upwards against my skin, knowing that she has got me now.

_I knew something like this would happen if she came over. I guess deep down I wanted it to and that’s why she’s here right now. At least I got more done than I would have sitting here on my own._

Her fingers walk along my collarbone, gently scratching at my skin as they do. Her head rests on my shoulder, her eyes piercing me as she watches intently for my reactions. Every single touch from her sends electric shocks up my spine. Nevertheless, I power through, determined to ignore the shivers of pleasure my body takes from her touch. Her hand takes the zip of my hoodie and rolls it between her thumb and index finger. She slowly pulls it down, the grating noise filling the air. As she guides it all the way down, her fingers brush against the waistband of my jeans, something I am very aware of. Her hands tug at my hoodie, pleading me to remove my hoodie. I quickly consider my options right now and after a moment, I pause my typing and allow her to help me out of it. Her hands run down my arms as she pulls the sleeves off of my arms.

_Maybe that will keep her satisfied for a little bit while I finish off… or maybe it'll just make me more inclined to stop. I guess there is only one way to find out._

Victoria takes my compliance with her demands as a positive sign and goes back to kissing my neck, her lips wandering over my pulse. I involuntarily move to expose more of my neck to her and immediately regret showing this sign of weakness as she smiles against my skin. I mentally kick myself as I save my work and shut down my laptop.

_I don't think I can resist anymore._

Victoria's hold on me tightens as she realizes she’s won, her smile smug and victorious, “Finally given up, huh?” she goes back to my neck, her tongue running along it as her hands wander down my body until they reach the hem of my favorite pink Jane Doe shirt. Figuring that I have reached a point of no return, I lift my arms in the air and let her remove it. She takes a step back as I get out of the chair and walk over to her. She remains just out of my reach as she slowly backs up to my bed, coaxing me over with a teasing smile. When she can’t back up any more, I bring my lips to hers, finally giving in to the urges. I gently guide her down onto my bed and straddle her, continuing to kiss her tenderly. My hands reach the bottom of her top, pulling at it slightly to ask for her permission. She leans in close and whispers pleadingly in my ear, “Please...”

_It's not quite as nerve wracking as the first time. I didn't know what to expect. This time I know, and Victoria has been pushing my buttons… it doesn’t stop my heart feeling like it’s about to explode though._

I slowly begin to undo the buttons of her shirt. I start from the bottom, painstakingly fumbling around with them as my hands quiver from the sudden intimacy. She continues to kiss my neck as I work on her shirt, making my fumbling ever more prominent. I clench my fists lightly and steady my resolve as I undo the final button, exposing the pale skin of her flat stomach. I lean down and press my lips against her stomach, my trail of kisses leading upwards, continuing between her breasts, up her neck, her jawline, on her nose and finally her lips again. My hands move the fabric away from her skin, helping her out of her shirt completely and throwing it on the floor, not paying much attention to where it lands. Victoria's hands return to my back, her fingers lightly scratching. I hear the blood rushing in my ears as her hands make their way to my bra strap. She fingers it lightly and opens her eyes questioningly at me. I nod for her to continue and her hands begin to undo the strap. I kiss her more roughly, trying to show her that this is what I want.

_I want her to see all of me… I want her hands to explore and learn…_

The strap finally gives and Victoria discards my bra, throwing it onto my already untidy floor. She looks up at me, her eyes roaming over my newly exposed skin.

I roll my eyes playfully at her, “My eyes are up here you know.”

She laughs, “I know that.”

The doubts and insecurities begin to eat away at me again. The fear that I am not enough, that I could never give her what she wants… all fade when she reaches up and begins to lightly massage my breasts. The tingling increases, the heat rising in my body as she touches me. I sigh contently as her fingers explore, occasionally catching a nipple and causing me to shudder.

“Your turn,” I breath as my fingers trace her skin. She lifts up, allowing for me to reach round and undo her strap, well try to anyway. My hands are shaking with anticipation and are a little bit sweaty if I'm going to be completely honest.

Victoria must have sensed my nerves and smiles up at me reassuringly, “Take your time, Max. There's no rush,” she winks, “I'm enjoying the view from here anyway.”

“I bet,” I chuckle and take a deep breath, finally managing to undo her strap. I immediately remove the stupid thing and cry out triumphantly, “Ha, you'll have to try harder than that to suppress the gay in Max Caulfield, Shaka **Bra**.”

Victoria bursts out laughing and shakes her head, “Max, that was so bad. I can't even believe you exist sometimes…”

“You'd better believe it,” I grin as I reach down and tentatively run my fingers over her now exposed breasts. She gasps, making my hand immediately recoil from her, “What? Are you ok? What…?”

She pulls me back down, silencing my questions with her lips, “Your hands are cold, that's all.”

“Oh,” I put them in the crevice of my knees, trying to warm them.

Victoria giggles, “Oh, Max. You do the funniest things. This I need a picture of.”

“A p-picture?” I stutter.

She nods, “Yeah. Don't worry, it'll be for my personal usage only.”

_Sure I guess._

“Ok, but if I find this pic posted around the dorm corridor tomorrow I know where to come,” I quip.

Victoria places a gentle kiss on my forehead, “I’m not letting anyone else see this. It’s for my eyes only,” she grins mischievously at me, one not too dissimilar to the smirk Chloe has when she’s teasing me, “if you stay on my good side that is,” she reaches over to my bedside table and grabs my camera, lining up the shot with expert precision and clicks the button to take the shot. The photo comes out at the bottom and she takes it, a small smile forming on her face as she looks at it, “Perfect. Want to see?”

She offers me the photo and I hesitantly take it from her, my eyes widening when I see the result, “Oh… w-wowser.”

_I’m not even sure what to say…_

Victoria carefully retrieves the photo from my hands, “I'll be taking that back before you decide to rip it up, thank you.”

_Well, that was… unexpected._

“Now, I think my hands are warm enough,” I mention as I take them out from under my thighs, “Only one way to find out…”

I resume my position and lightly begin to knead her breasts. She lets out a sigh, “Oh yes, m-much better.”

My fingers circle her nipples, eliciting a very small moan from her, “You like that, huh?”

She playfully nudges me, “Don't look so smug about it.”

I remove my hands and lean down to kiss her again. A whole new sensation of our bare skin rubbing together is so… intense. My body moves instinctively, trying to create some kind of friction between us. Victoria's hands wander down to the waistband of my jeans. Her fingers take the button and pop it open, pulling the zipper down. I wriggle out of my jeans, kicking them in the floor and then I help her out of her skirt, leaving us both only in our underwear.

I lean back down and kiss her breasts. As I do her fingers wander along my back, moving down towards my underwear and begins to play with the top of them, asking not demanding.

_I'm not quite prepared for that yet. Even the thought of it is a bit scary right now. I have no clue what I'd be doing. I should really have a look at things first before I even think about that. I do want to but… not just yet._

I lean down and whisper in her ear, “I don't think I'm quite ready… not just yet.”

She nods, immediately moving her hand away from my underwear and placing them further up my back instead.

_I wonder…_

I let my tongue glide slightly over one of her nipples and she digs her nails into my back more.

_That little titbit might come in handy._

I return to kissing her lips, slowing down the pace slightly.

_I think I've had enough excitement for one day._

Victoria picks up on it, slower her kisses down and loosening her grip on my back. I give her one final kiss on her nose, then get off of her and lay beside down her. Her hand finds mine and I grasp it firmly. We both pant lightly a we lay there, staring up at the ceiling.

“Max…” she calls out to me.

“Yeah.”

She reaches out a strokes my cheek gently, “That was really great.”

_I didn't quite realize how much I needed that. Just to have Victoria there, enjoying me and visa versa._

I shuffle closer to her, pressing my forehead against hers, “Yeah, it was. I enjoyed it.”

Victoria offers me a gentle smile, her eyes sparkle as they gaze into mine.

_Now there is no way I'll be able to work._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More progress. Hope you enjoyed that and catch you guys later.


	16. I Could Never Get Sick of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No-one has heard from Victoria since yesterday. Where could she be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello you amazing people. I really hope you are doing well today. I really can’t thank you all enough for reading, for the kind comments and everything else. It really is mind boggling. Thanks to KM for the idea for the chapter.  
> Enjoy.

**Chapter Sixteen: I Could Never Get Sick of You**

**Day 43**

**Max's POV** **\- Photography Classroom – 3:45pm**

I sit in the photography class room, tapping my pen on the table as Mr Jefferson lectures away at us as per usual. My eyes wander around the classroom at my fellow students, seeing that everyone is at different stages of concentration. Stella is writing away feverishly, while Hayden stares out of the window with a bored expression on his face, his head resting in his hand looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here. The others in the class are all in between these extreme opposites of concentration. I glance over at Rachel who smiles at me warmly as our eyes meet, a smile I return. I can see she's doodling on her paper. Every few seconds her phone flashes. It's probably from Chloe moaning about how lonely she is and complaining about how I refuse to text her in class.

_I really should go see Rachel and Chloe properly sometime… before they kidnap me._

My gaze turns to Victoria's empty seat, the room feeling empty without her presence.

_She's been holed up in her room since yesterday evening. She won't even let me in there or tell me why and I don't want to start getting all up in her personal space if she doesn't want me to. Some days you just have to be alone I guess. Still… I'm worried… maybe I should drop her a text again._

I check to see that Mr Jefferson isn't directly looking at me.

_I don't need him on my ass again. I think I've just finally been forgiven for last time when I wasn't paying attention._

I take my phone out, hiding it under the table as I text Victoria.

**Max: You ok? I'm getting worried. Please text back or call me as soon as you read this**

Just as I send the text, a booming, slightly annoyed voice pierces the air, “Max, class is not time for texting.”

I nearly drop my phone in surprise, managing to grab it before it hits the floor. I look up to see Mr Jefferson stares at me unimpressed, his arms crossed.

I clear my throat nervously, “Oh… um… sorry.”

Mr Jefferson shakes his head in disappointment and continues. I put my phone in my pocket and go back to pretending to be paying attention to him while my mind whirs about Victoria.

_If I haven't heard from her by the time I get back, I'll go check up on her. It's not like her to miss class…_

I keep checking the time, watching the seconds slowly tick by. The ticking fills the air, taunting me with freedom. Finally after what seems like an eternity, the bell rings. I pack up as quickly as I can, shoving my paper, pencil case, book and camera inside and make my way to the door, when Mr Jefferson calls me back, “Max, can I have a word?”

_Damn it._

I stop abruptly and start to trudge back, wincing when I see how pissed off he looks.

_Great. I bet he'll keep me here for a while. Way to go, Max._

Out of nowhere, Rachel pops up. She stands beside me, her hand on her hip and flips her long blonde hair, “Mark, I have time now if you're available to talk about whatever it was that you wanted to discuss. I only have a small window now though. I don't think I'll be able to make more time this week, so it's now or never,” she smiles at him charmingly.

Mr Jefferson glances at me, then turns to Rachel. He seems to be thinking things over extensively. After a moment, he looks over to me, “Excuse me, Max.”

I sneak out before he has a chance to change his mind. Rachel turns to me briefly and I give her an appreciative smile. She winks in response as I make my way down the corridor to outside.

_That's the second time Rachel has bailed me out. I hope she's going to be ok. I owe her big time. I'll have to think of a way to thank her._

I wander down the hall, dodging the sudden influx of people with my usual grace and poise… which is non-existent. When I finally manage to escape the crowds, I peer out of the door to the outside. It's raining heavily, the bitter wind howling. Some make a dash for it, running as quickly as they can, others opt to wait until the worst has passed and a few organised people actually have umbrellas, but they are few and far between. I decide to take a chance and, pulling my hood up to shield myself from the worst of the rain, pace quickly back to the dorm. The rain hits the path, forming small puddles which splash as I walk through them. The water seeps through my converses, making my foot wet.

_I should not have worn my converses toady. Bad move. My foot is soaked now._

I finally manage to get to the dorm building. When I get in, I shake myself off and go to make my way upstairs. Just as I am about to, I hear someone call out my name. I turn and see Nathan, his blue eyes showing a slight hint of panic and his brow furrowed in worry, “Max. Have you heard from Victoria today?”

_Seems we've all had radio silence._

I shake my head, “No, I was just about to check up on her actually.”

He runs his fingers tiredly through his slightly damp blonde hair.

_He must have been out in the rain too._

“She isn't answering my calls. I had a chat with Taylor and Courtney. They said they hadn't seen her either.”

_Where has she gotten too?_

I take out my phone and hand it to Nathan, “Put in your number and I'll text you once I find her.”

He taps away at my screen, then I send him a message so he has my number. He offers me a small smile before walking off back to his room, “Thanks, Max.”

_This is all very strange. I guess I should see if she's in her room first._

I make my way down the girls’ dorm corridor. A door ahead of me opens and Kate comes out of her room, her shower supplies in her hand. When she sees me, she smiles, “Hey Max.”

_Maybe Kate has seen her today. They are right next to each other, so I guess she has the most chance._

“Hi, Kate. You haven't seen Victoria around by any chance, have you?”

Kate thinks for a moment, then shakes her head, “I can't say I have, no.”

_Damn it. I should have just checked on her earlier, regardless of what she said._

Kate's hazel eyes look at me worriedly, “Max, are you ok?”

“Yeah. It's just no-one has heard from her since yesterday evening,” I mention, my sense of dread increasing.

She tilts her head to the side, her eyes closed deep in thought, “I see. Well, I think I might have heard some shuffling in her room earlier. The walls aren't really that thick here.”

_Blackwell really went all out on our dorms… not._

“I'm sure she's probably just sleeping… I hope at least.”

Kate places a hand on my arm, giving me a smile that calms my worrying, “Max, I'm sure she's fine. I'll keep an eye out for her and send her your way if I see her though.”

_I think I would believe anything Kate says. She has this calming effect on me and she always seems to know what she’s talking about… unlike me._

“Thanks.”

Kate nods and continues down the hall towards the shower room. I quickly kick off my soaking shoes and throw them haphazardly in my room.

_I'll sort them out later… maybe._

I turn back to Victoria's door and tentatively knock. No answer.

“Victoria? You in there?”

No answer.

“I'm going to come in, so you'd better not be halfway through changing or anything. You have been warned. Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

I can’t lie that my heart may have sped up a little in anticipation when I said these words. I slowly open the door and it creaks as I push on it. The blinds are down, making it hard to see. I feel around cautiously with my foot and hit something hard, stubbing my toe. I bite my lip, suppressing the torrent of swear words I so desperately want to shout out.

_Fuck, that hurt._

I take a deep breath, shake my foot a bit in a vain attempt to stop the dull throbbing and then continue more cautiously towards her bed. I call out into the darkness more confidently this time, “Victoria?”

Her bed is empty with the covers pulled up and her pillows strewn on the floor.

_Huh? Where could she have gone?_

I exit her room, the panic beginning to rise in my body.

_Where could she have got to? I should get out of these clothes quickly before I search or at least change my hoodie. I don't want to catch a cold. Then we can really get looking, make a list of places she is likely to be and split up._

I enter my room and go to my closet when I hear a faint snoring. I turn around trying to locate the sound. It's coming from my bed. I walk to it to find that the sheets all crumpled up. I gently peer under them and see her. She looks worse for wear with dark circles under her eyes, her face much paler than usual. Her short blonde hair is dishevelled and her nose is red. I sigh in relief when I see her and rub my face with my hands.

_Thank dog she's ok. I was really getting worried about her._

I grab my phone and text Nathan, Taylor and Courtney.

**Max: Found her**

**Nathan: Where was she?**

**Max: In my room, under the covers**

**Taylor: No wonder Courtney and I couldn't find her**

**Max: She was hidden pretty well**

**Courtney: We didn't even think about checking your room. Now I feel like an idiot**

**Taylor: Well, to be fair we just kind of started panicking after we couldn't see her in her room. We were in a rush**

**Nathan: Is she ok?**

I look down at her briefly before replying. She’s looking pretty rough, but it could be way worse. I remember one time when Chloe decided it would be a good idea to play out in the pouring rain for three hours without a jacket on. She really did think she was invincible. Needless to say, she caught something and was bedridden for about a week, much to her disgust. When I went round to check up on her after school every day, she’d only let me take care of her and no-one else, which now I think back was pretty cute really.

_Let’s just hope Victoria is as easy to look after._

**Max: Yeah. She just looks like she's caught a cold or something**

**Nathan: She's always been prone to getting ill. Do you need me to come over?**

**Taylor: Yeah, we can come over too or whatever if you need us**

I glance over at Victoria, who is still curled up in my bed.

_It's probably best to not have too many people over at once. She needs to rest more than anything. I think I can manage._

**Max: Well, we'll need to get some supplies**

**Nathan: I have some already. I always have some… just in case**

**Courtney: Taylor and I can go grab them and bring them up**

**Nathan: Ok. It might be best after that to leave her alone with Max**

**Taylor: Yeah. You ok with that, Max?**

**Max: I think I can handle her**

**Taylor: I bet ;)**

**Courtney: That would explain the glow and smile Victoria has had recently…**

_These guys are almost as bad as Chloe._

I shake my head, smiling at their gentle teasing.

**Max: You guys are out of control**

**Nathan: I am still here**

**Taylor: Oh come on. Don't act like you don't love all this girly gossip**

**Nathan: Maybe I do**

**Courtney: You so do. Don't even try to deny it. I'll be down in a second to get the meds**

**Nathan: I'll be waiting**

**Max: My door is open, so just come in whenever**

**Taylor: You sure you won't be having your way with our poor vulnerable Victoria if we just barge in?**

_Two can play at this game._

I type away at my phone and send the text, proud with my retaliation.

**Max: Maybe you should knock first ;)**

**Taylor: Max, you are such a tease**

**Nathan: …again still here**

**Courtney: …again, you still love it. Taylor and I will be over soon**

I smile to myself, placing my phone on the bedside table and making my way over to the bed. Victoria’s cheeks are flushed and her breathing is heavier than usual. I gently move some hair out of her face. As I do, she stirs and her tired eyes flicker open. They are bleary, unfocused and slightly bloodshot. She turns her head to look at me, her eyebrow raised a bit in confusion, “Max? What are you doing here?” her voice is hoarse and it sounds like her nose is all bunged up.

“Well, it may shock you, but we're in my room.”

Victoria lifts her head, looking around confused, “Why am I here?”

“I was going to ask you the same question. I found you in here.”

She inhales deeply, her head lolling slightly, “I don't remember.”

_Maybe she just came in the wrong room. She's been in mine so much that it's possible. In her state she could have quite easily gone into any room and not known the difference._

“That's reassuring. We were looking for you. None of us had heard from you since yesterday evening and you weren't answering my texts or anyone else's.”

She feebly waves away my concerns with her hand, sounding exhausted, “I'm fine. You don't need to worry.”

_She looks like death warmed up. I hate seeing her like this._

I sit down on the edge of the bed, looking down at her anxiously, “You obviously aren't ok. I mean, look at you.”

Victoria smiles weakly, “Thanks for the compliment.”

_Glad to see that being ill hasn't dampened her spirits too much._

“You know what I mean. Why didn't you tell me?”

She exhales deeply and looks up at me, “Because I don't need help.”

_You don't need help my ass._

I cross my arms and give her a stern look… at least as stern as I can manage. It doesn't even begin to rival Victoria's stern look, but it'll do, “You do.”

Victoria shakes her head. She is trying to sound strong and confident, but it doesn't come out that way, “No, I don't. Besides, you have work soon.”

_I am not letting her win this one._

“Don't use the work card on me. I managed to swap with Dana, so that isn't even a factor. Look, you don't have to be alone in times like this. You're always trying to do everything on your own when you don't even have to. I'm here for you. I don't like the thought of you suffering in silence…” my impassioned monologue is interrupted by her stomach growling. She glances away from me, refusing to look me in the eye, “Have you even eaten today?”

She doesn't say a word, but shakes her head slightly. I rub my temples.

_What would have happened if we hadn't checked up on her?_

“You really are an idiot, you know that?”

She nods, still not meeting my gaze. I take her head in my hands and gently turn her to face me. She finally looks directly into my eyes when she figures I won't be going away.

“Now Victoria Chase, you listen up. I am going to look after you until you are better. I don't want to hear any moaning about it either. The more you moan, the more I will wait on you hand and foot. Got it?”

Victoria sighs, shifting a bit, “If you're going to make a big thing out of it, then I can't stop you.”

_That's as good as I'll probably get from her. She really is stubborn._

I grab hold of her and lift her up, leaning her against me. I fluff her pillows up before laying her back down gently, “I will make a big thing out of it. Let me take care of my girl. Don't deny me my duties.”

I swear I see a small smile on Victoria's lips.

_She’s just too stubborn for her own good sometimes._

I straighten out the covers and wrap her back up again, “There. Better already, right?”

Victoria's head pokes out of the covers, “Yes.”

I search her room for a semi-clean glass. I locate one and grab it from her desk, holding it up to show her, “I'll go get some water, so stay put and don't move.”

“Like I could anyway.”

I open my door and exit to see Taylor and Courtney coming down the corridor, a bag in their hand. They wave at me when they see me and hold up the bag triumphantly. They both look a bit worried as they approach me and Taylor steps forward, “How is she?”

“A bit grumpy, but other than that I'd say she's fine. She needs sleep and food.”

Courtney passes me the plastic bag, which rustles slightly as I take it, “Yeah, she gets really grouchy when she's ill. It's something she can't fight on her own and that annoys her to no end.”

Taylor sighs, “She can't just glare at it to make it go away. I just wish she didn't try to do everything herself.”

_So do I._

I offer them a small reassuring smile, “She doesn't have the choice now, because I'm not letting her struggle on her own.”

Taylor beams at me, “I knew we could count on you, Max. She's less likely to snap at you. You've really got her good. She always manages to turn the conversation back to you… but you didn't hear that from me.”

_I'm glad to see it's not just me who does that. Chloe and Rachel always smile and give each other knowing looks when I start ranting on about how great Victoria is. They never stop me though, if anything, they encourage me._

“If you need us, just text and we'll be there,” Taylor calls back as they walk off down the corridor to her room. I have a quick peek inside the bag.

_There sure are a lot of different pills and potions in here._

I continue on down to the shower room and fill up the glass. I hear a shriek and wince when I recognize the voice, “Sorry Kate, I didn't realize you were still in there.”

I hear laughter coming from one of the stalls as the water is shut off. A few seconds later Kate exits the stall, in her pyjamas with damp hair, “Max, I swear you are so unobservant. If it was anyone else they would have faced the full Marsh wrath.”

_I don’t think I’ve actually seen Kate really mad before. It’s usually the quiet ones who are the scariest though._

‘I wouldn’t have wanted that.’

She smiles, “No, you wouldn’t. Its ok, I was done anyway,” she tilts her head to the side questioningly, “How's Victoria? Did you find her?”

I nod, “She's ill. She was huddled up under my covers in my room.”

Kate towels off her hair as she stands there, “I hope she gets better soon. It makes sense she'd go to your room. She probably feels safe and comfortable in there. I know I would.”

_Maybe she does._

“I hope she's better soon too.”

She grins at me, “With you looking after her, she will.”

_Kate has a lot of faith in me. I hope I can do as good a job as she's imagining._

“I'd better get back to her. Sorry about the cold water.”

Kate all but pushes me out of the shower room, “Max, don't worry so much. Go on now.”

_I should get some food too. Where could I go? Maybe Nathan has some ideas. He probably knows what she likes best._

I take out my phone from my pocket and text.

**Max: Do you know anywhere I could get some hot food for Victoria?**

**Nathan: Yeah. Come downstairs and I'll drive us to get some stuff**

I go to my room and place the water on my bedside table. Victoria turns to face me and I pop some of the pills into my hand, passing them to her along with the water. She gulps them down and I place my hand on her cheek, stroking it gently with my thumb.

_She looks so vulnerable right now… almost like a different person._

“Now, I'll be back in a bit.”

Victoria's eyes begin to close, her voice quiet, petering out as she speaks, “Don't be too long.”

I kiss her forehead and whisper, “I won't.”

* * *

**Victoria's POV - Max’s Room – 4:36pm**

The sound of the door clicking shut reaches my ears. I lift my head up slightly and see Max enter. She walks over and sits down on the bed beside me, “I'm back.”

“Really? I couldn't tell.”

She offers me a small smile, “Hey, don't steal my role of smartass,” she is holding a cup in her hands, steam rising from it. I feel a smile tug at my lips as a familiar scent permeates the air.

_She must have asked Nathan. Whenever one of us was ill, we always used to make tomato soup, without fail. It became a kind of tradition for us. I remember once Nathan walked for an hour in the rain because I was ill and his parent's house didn't have any in the cupboards. Then he got ill because of it. The best part was that there was actually soup in the cupboard, he had just missed it in his rush. He's such an idiot, but I wouldn't change him._

Max has a spoon in her other hand. She places the cup on my bedside table and props me up a bit more. She holds the spoon up for me to see, grinning dorkily, “Hey, Victoria. Wanna spoon?”

I roll my eyes at her playfully, which causes her to laugh. She dips the spoon in the cup and stirs it. She takes the spoon out, blowing on the orange liquid before bringing it to my lips, “Say ah.”

I open my mouth and Max gently places the spoon in. The warm tomato soup runs down my throat, soothing it.

“How is it?” she asks, taking the spoon out so I can speak.

“It's good,” I admit.

Max continues to spoon feed me until the soup is all gone. She nearly drops the spoon a few times, but manages somehow not to spill it. I think we were both surprised. She places the cup on the side and smiles.

_She's gone to so much effort to make me feel better._

I sigh and close my eyes momentarily, “Max…”

She turns her attention to me, “Hmm…”

I shift in the bed to get comfortable, “I… really appreciate you doing this. You didn't have to, but you still did it. I'm not used to people doing things for me without having an ulterior motive.”

She grins mischievously, “Who says I don't have one?”

I roll my eyes at her, but smile, “Maybe it'll be an ulterior motive I don't mind being used for.”

Max shakes her head, smiling, “Budge up a bit will you?”

I move over and she lifts the covers up, getting cuddled up beside me underneath the blanket.

“Max, you'll get ill if you do that.”

She shrugs, “That's fine. Then you can look after me and return the favour. Besides, I don't want you to be lonely for one second.”

Her words make my heart beat faster.

_She always seems to know what to say to me to make me feel better._

She snuggles up beside me, her forehead resting against mine. She gazes deeply into my eyes as her hand finds mine under the covers and she intertwines our fingers. She pulls the covers over our heads, leaving a little bit of a gap at the top. We are in our own little cocoon, separated from the rest of the world. My mind goes back to when Nathan and I used to use the covers as a tent and tell each other spooky stories with a flash light and make shadow puppets until we fell asleep to pass the lonely hours.

_We still do it sometimes, even now, especially when either of us has had a particularly bad day. It helps both of us a lot… reminds us that even when we are alone, there is still someone who cares. I could never be alone with Max around, not even if I tried._

“You know, it's weird having someone here with me like this.”

Max's eyes hold a curious glint, her breath tickling my skin as she speaks, “How so?”

I sigh lightly, “I've had to look after myself for a long time. When I was younger, my parents used to just fly off to wherever they needed to be and just leave me on my own. They still do now, but it's not such a big deal as before. It's different for a kid. I won't lie, it was lonely. That's why Nathan and I got on so well. We were both in the same position, both lonely children desperately looking for some kind of emotional connection. We were stuck together like glue, no matter where we were. He used to cry all the time. I felt like his big sister or something, even though he's older than me. I still do.”

_My mind wanders to all those nights we were by ourselves, all the silly games we played, all the times we raided the cupboard and ate all the candy we could lay our hands on, all the times we were scared by an oncoming storm and used to sing to calm ourselves down…_

Max squeezes my hand reassuringly, bringing me out of my thoughts. I squeeze hers back. This close, I can really see all her freckles. Counting them always calms me down. I hear a gentle laugh, “Are you staring at my freckles again?” her eyes meet mine, showing a flicker of amusement at my fascination.

“Maybe… anyway, my point is that I couldn't rely on anyone apart from myself and Nathan. Now, I hate relying on people because… I just haven't been used to it. I feel powerless when I do it. It's stupid I know, but it's how I've learnt to cope. Also, it feels like I'm a burden on people. If my parents couldn't stick around, then how can someone else? Why would someone who has no obligation to me choose to stick around? I'm not the friendliest of people, I anger quickly, I can be a complete bitch sometimes and I am stubborn…”

A question that has been on my mind for a while now suddenly tumbles from my lips, one I've been dreading to ask just in case the answer shatters my blissful dreams, “…why would you?”

I search Max's eyes for her thoughts. She takes her free hand and places it on my face, gently rubbing my cheek, answering almost immediately, “You want to know what I see when I look at you?”

I nod. She takes a moment to compose herself, closing her eyes thoughtfully. Finally, she opens those beautiful doe-like eyes, eyes filled with everything I could ever need. She takes a strand of my short hair and twists it round her finger.

_If anyone else did this, I would most certainly kill them, but when Max does it…_

“I see a brave girl who’s had to learn and face a lot by herself and has done a pretty good job of it, she just needs a helping hand sometimes. I see a loyal girl who would do anything for the ones she cared for. I see a passionate fire in her eyes for the things she enjoys and has a talent for. I sometimes see the young side of the girl, a lost child who is insecure and alone, looking for somewhere to rest her troubles and that kills me each and every time. Most importantly…” Max gazes into my eyes deeply, putting every inch of emotion she is feeling into that one look. The intensity of her stare sends shudders down my spine.

_I never thought anyone would ever look at me this way. Her eyes hold nothing back, lay everything out bare, make me feel loved and wanted. They pull me in, entice me to stay forever…_

A fond smile forms on her lips as the next few words fall from them, “…I see a girl who I love to pieces and wouldn't trade for anything.”

I am speechless. My mind shuts down, processing her words, words that come from her heart, words she hasn’t censored out of embarrassment, words she’s unashamed to utter… words only meant for my ears and mine alone.

_Max…_

I can’t help but smile, “Did you practise that little speech?”

Max glances away from me, blushing slightly and clears her throat nervously, “Maybe… maybe a bit… or a lot.”

Her words make my heart soar.

_That someone would spend time trying to find the right words to say to me is incredible. I can imagine her standing in front of her mirror and figuring out exactly how to say it, getting all tongue tied and freaking out when she forgot what she wanted to say._

I drape my arm over Max, pulling her closer to me. I tangle my legs with hers, getting as much contact as possible.

_It could never be close enough._

“So, you’ve had that waiting to tell me, huh?”

Max continues to blush, “I was… waiting for the right time and it seemed like now was as good a time as any.”

_She never ceases to amaze me._

I playfully push her, “Max, you are such a dork.”

She flashes me a wide, toothy grin, “But I’m your dork.”

“I can’t argue with that logic,” I chuckle as I lay there, staring at her for a while. She stares back, not once shying away. Her eyes are gentle, warm and loving, “Max, you really are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I haven’t smiled so much in years. I’m feeling so happy and it’s all thanks to you.”

She laughs, “Stop, you’re making me blush.”

_That’s the plan._

“You’re cute when you blush.”

She shakes her head and smiles at me, “If you keep saying stuff like that, I won’t be able to stop.”

_If Max can say all those things without being embarrassed… then so can I._

I take a deep breath and shift to a more comfortable position, taking her hand in mine, running my fingers along her hands. She has a few callouses, probably from playing the guitar so much.

_When she loves something, she is consumed by it completely. She will spend every waking moment she has doing what she loves. She puts her heart and soul into it._

“Seriously, I just want you to know that I am so glad you came into my life, and that you didn’t get scared off by my weird behaviour at the start. I…” my voice comes out as little more than a whisper, “I… love you too.”

_These are words I haven’t spoken very often in my life, which makes saying them now even more meaningful to me._

Max’s entire face lights up at my words and I lean over and kiss her lightly, causing her to smiles at me, “Hey, are you trying to get me sick?”

I give her a wide eyed, innocent look, “Nooo…”

“Well, if I’m going to get sick, I may as well make it worth my while,” she leans back in, capturing my lips again and moving them against mine gently. I lean into her, allowing her to consume me, fill all my senses… I could get lost in her. She slowly pulls away, resting her forehead against mine and gazing deeply into my eyes with a huge smile plastered to her face, “Glad to see someone is feeling a little better.”

“Well, you’re the best medicine for me.”

She sighs contently, her face becoming softer as she stares at me with her doe-like blue eyes earnestly, “Victoria, if you ever need me, I am here for you. No matter what I'm doing, I will always make sure to be here for you. Always. It can be the smallest of things and I'd still get my ass over here as quickly as possible. I don't want you to feel like you don't have anyone to turn to.”

_Finally, I feel as if I can depend on someone and they won't let me down._

“Thanks, Max. It's good to know I have someone I can rely on. I’m here for you too.”

Max's lips quirk upwards into a grin, “I know. Now, I can sing you to sleep, if you'd like.”

I raise an eyebrow questioningly, “You sing?”

She falters slightly, “Well, I guess. No-one has really… heard me, apart from Chloe. She's caught me a few times by sneaking into my dorm room when I had my headphones in. She scared the shit out of me.”

_I bet Max can sing beautifully. I may have even heard her a few times. It's hard to tell where voices are coming from when you're in your room._

“I bet. Ok then, do your worst.”

Max exhales deeply, “I doubt you'll know any of the songs I know the words to, but here goes.”

She clears her throat and begins to quietly sing. Her voice is soft yet distinctive. It washes over me, filling my ears and I lap up every single word. I don't know many of the songs, but the way she sings makes them seem familiar and comforting. As she continues, her voice becomes more confident, yet still retains the gentleness. She tells me a thousand different stories, each as soothing as the last. My eyes begin to close. I try to stay awake to hear more, but soon find myself claimed by sleep.

* * *

**Day 45**

**Max's POV** **\- Max's Room – 2:07pm**

“I'm gonna look after Max.”

Victoria shakes her head, “Um… no way.”

I am laying in my bed, trying to get some rest. Of course I managed to catch whatever Victoria had. It would have been a miracle if I hadn't got it too be honest. As soon as Chloe heard I was ill, she came racing over. Victoria was here of course and it wasn't long before they were at their usual squabbling again.

_They have been at it for about ten minutes and I'm starting to get a headache._

Chloe stares her down, “Yes way. You made her ill so I'm going to make it all better. Come on, Max. Let me help you get a shower.”

Victoria crosses her arms, glaring at Chloe, “Price, there is no way I am letting you help her with that. If anyone is going to do that, it's me.”

Chloe pulls me into her, almost pulling me out of bed, my head resting on her chest, her voice dramatic, “I shan't let you take advantage of my poor super Max. Is Icky Vicky trying to take away your innocence? I won't let her. Don't worry,” she strokes my head, smirking gleefully at Victoria's annoyance. If looks could kill, Chloe would be six feet under. Victoria is practically fuming and Chloe laughs at her expression, “I'm just fucking with you. Don't take everything so seriously. I trust you with Max.”

Victoria looks a bit confused, “You… trust me with Max?”

Chloe nods, “So, don't do anything to make me revoke that trust. That tree branch was not a threat, it was a promise,” she lets go of me, “If you need anything Max, just give me or Rachel a call. One of us will come right over if you are being violated in anyway. Have fun playing sexy nurses or whatever weird shit you're into,” she winks at me and leaves the room.

Victoria sighs, rubbing her temples, “She is unbearable sometimes.”

_She thinks that's bad…_

“Wait until you get to know her better… then you'll find she is more unbearable than you once though.”

Victoria lets out a small laugh, “I can believe that,” she sits down on the edge of my bed, “Now it's my turn to look after you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed that. The whole ill partner is a fanfic staple, and is always nice to include. Max and Victoria really are just two big dorks, huh? But who is the bigger dork? (I am leaning towards Max).  
> I just can’t help it with the cheesy lines and bad puns. Once I am unleashed, there is no stopping me and I’m dragging you along for the ride too. Here’s to many more.  
> I shall see you amazing people later. Thanks so much for reading.


	17. It's Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria gets a phone call...but who is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hope everything is going well for you.  
> We’re at over 400 kudos now. Like, how? Oh the lure of Chasefield must be strong. Thank you all for reading so far.  
> I’ve had a couple of requests for the idea this chapter, so I thought I’d include it.  
> Enjoy.

**Chapter Seventeen: It’s Magic**

**Day 52**

**Max's POV** **\- Max's Room – 5:13 pm**

I'm sat down at my desk, chewing on my pen lid as I work… or at least try to. I am buried under all the notes I've been making for next week's Photography class assignment. I squint, trying to figure out what the hell I've actually written. Maybe unintelligible scrawl is a more accurate description of my attempts to work. My chair creaks as I lean back in it, sighing deeply. I rub my temples, trying to ease the headache that has been brewing over the past hour or so.

_My head is killing me right now. I can't focus like this._

I decide to take a break. Realistically, I know it's game over for me in the homework department now I've stopped. It's always been the same.

_Oh well, at least I tried._

I gather up the loose papers and stack them on my desk in a neat-ish pile. I stretch, my entire body clicking as I completely resign myself to the fact that I'm not going to get anything else done tonight.

_So much for getting on top of things._

I get up from my chair and lay down on my bed, my hands resting on my stomach as I stare up at the slightly discolored ceiling. I close my eyes in a vain attempt to stop my head from throbbing. Victoria has been cramming like me. I don't know which of us is worse for avoiding homework. We would have done our work together, but last time we tried, we didn't get much done at all. We literally did everything else in the pursuit to procrastinate. We mutually agreed to never attempt it again. I place my hands behind my head and sigh.

_So much for working. Max 0, Procrastination 23… maybe that's being optimistic._

I grab my phone and unlock the screen, absentmindedly checking my messages to pass the time. One from Kate confirming our next tea session next week, one from Chloe when she was drunk… the less said about that the better, and one from Victoria this morning.

**Victoria: You'd better be doing your work so we can spend time together. If I finish and find it's not done, there will be a punishment.**

My lips quirk upwards into a smile as my eyes roam over her message. Victoria always checks in when I haven't seen her all day.

_It's kind of cute, but if I were to tease her about it she'd go on the offensive._

My brow furrows as I look at the caller ID, **Queen Bitch of Blackwell**

I sigh, rubbing my temples.

_Chloe must have done this, no doubt at the encouragement of Rachel. That's what I get for leaving my phone unguarded._

I freeze, panic gripping my body.

_Shit, I hope they didn't do anything embarrassing with it. It seems like something they'd do._

Pushing the thought out of my mind and hoping this isn't the case, I change Victoria's caller ID back and place my phone on my bedside table, getting settled on the bed again.

_I guess I could go over and see how Victoria is doing… just for a minute or two._

I decisively sit up and shuffle over to the edge of my bed. I scan the floor for my well-worn gray hoodie with little success, finally resigning myself to the fact that it is probably amidst the mountain of semi-clean clothing in the corner of my room, the one that has been accumulating for a good week or so. I sigh and make my way over to the pile.

_Why can't I just put it away in my wardrobe? That would be too easy I guess._

After a few nerve wracking minutes, I finally locate my hoodie and carefully pull it out of the precarious pile, thankfully not knocking it all over.

_Man, I need to get myself sorted. I'm getting as bad as Chloe._

I shake out the worst of the creases and throw it on. I look around for my converses, unsure of where I threw them last night when I came back from my shift at the Two Whales. I get on my hands and knees and have a look under my desk, squinting to find one of my shoes lying there. I reach under and grab it.

_Well, here's one lonely shoe. Where is your sole mate?_

After a couple of minutes searching I find the other shoe under my bed, along with a few other things I didn't even realize I owned.

_Aha, you sneaky shoe. You're mine._

I sit back down on my bed, slipping my feet into my converses and lacing them up. I grab my phone off of the table and shove it in my pocket before exiting my room. The hallway is surprisingly empty. I can vaguely make out Kate playing her violin, but it's mostly lost to the music blaring from Dana's room.

_Blackwell sure as hell didn't spend bank on soundproofing the dorm rooms._

This thought made me a little self-conscious of playing my guitar. To be fair, most people here have their headphones on so they probably wouldn't hear anyway. I look over to the room almost directly opposite mine, the room I've visited so many times over the past month or so. The room of the infamous Victoria Chase. I pace over to her door and am about to knock, when I hear a confident yet tired familiar voice seep through the wooden door.

"Yes, but… fine. Ok, look I said I would already,” Victoria must be on her phone, because I can't hear another person.

_I wonder who she's talking to._

"I'm not. Just get off my case. I'm doing what you want so just be happy,” there is an exasperated sigh, "Yes. Bye."

_What was all that about?_

I exhale and knock on her door, but here is no answers o I call through the door, "Victoria, it's me."

There is a slight pause before I hear her voice again, "Doors open, Max."

The door creaks as I push on it. Victoria is sat on her bed, running her fingers through her short blonde hair. The closer I get to her, the more stressed out she looks. I sit down on her bed and shuffle back. She looks at me questioningly, but doesn't say anything. I sit behind her, my back propped against the wall and I motion for her to shuffle back a bit, which she does. I place my hands on her shoulders and begin to gently massaging them. Almost as soon as I start, she exhales deeply and relaxes against me. My hands glide over her shoulders and neck, making sure to work out all the knots. Her posture becomes less tense and her breathing more even. After a few minutes I pull her back, wrapping my arms around her and gently pressing my lips on the nape of her neck, "What's got you so stressed out?"

Victoria leans against me, turning her head to face me, "It's my parents, more specifically my mom."

I squeeze her reassuringly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Victoria sighs, "Well, I kind of messed up a bit."

I sit there patiently, waiting for Victoria to elaborate. She re-adjusts herself against me, "They keep trying to match me up with the sons of some big names in the art field. To 'carry on the Chase legacy' or some bullshit like that," her jaw tenses at this. I reach up and start to run my fingers through her short blonde hair, gently massaging her head, which seems to calm her, "They've even tried to get me and Nathan together before. Both of us dug our heels in on that one. It took a while, but we managed to win that. Unfortunately, it only increased our parent's efforts to find someone else,” she pauses for a moment, then looks to me, "Don't worry. I would rather get with Price or Amber than any of those assholes, and that's saying something."

I giggle at this. The thought of Chloe and Victoria actually hooking up is kind of funny. I wonder how long it would take before one of them ended up being murdered. I give it a couple hours max, "I'm not worried."

Victoria raises an eyebrow in amusement, "Oh, someone's confident."

I tenderly place my lips on hers for a brief moment, then pull away, "Damn right, Chase."

I smirk smugly at her, knowing she can't really deny that. She shakes her head and smiles, then her face falls again, "Anyway, I kind of said that I was already seeing someone."

_I should probably lighten the mood a little. I don't like seeing Victoria freaking out or sad._

"Oh, I bet your gf is smart, kind, funny and beautiful," I quip, trying to lighten the mood.

Victoria laughs, "You are so silly, Max. Maybe that's just what I need right now though. You may also be right," I hug her tighter, pulling her body closer to mine as she continues, "I was going to tell them about us, but I was waiting for the right moment to talk about it calmly rather than just blurting it out. They basically want to meet you this weekend. I'm sorry I got you caught up in all this."

_Is this what she was worried about?_

I kiss her neck, causing her to shiver, "There's no need to be sorry, Victoria. I think I can handle it."

She sighs and leans back against me, sounding hesitant, "I don't know, my parents can be… intense, and I'm not sure how they will react."

I grab Victoria's hand, interlocking our fingers and gently rubbing the back of her hand with my thumb, "You think there's going to be a problem?"

Victoria is uncharacteristically quiet for a while, "I don't know, Max. This kind of thing hasn't ever come up before. My parents are really unpredictable and I just don't know…" she turns to me, determination in her eyes, "It's not going to change anything between us at all. Nothing they say would ever affect that. I just don't like dealing with unknowns."

I offer her a smile, "Well, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

She takes my hand and places a small kiss on it, "I know, and I'm truly grateful for that. You treat me like a person and not just some rich entitled bitch. I suppose how I act doesn't help with that. Even the members of the Vortex Club are just friendly with me because they don't want to get kicked out. They wouldn't give me the time of day otherwise."

_You can't just judge people from face value. We're all more complex than that. Lots of people think I don't care because I'm quiet, but it just takes me a while to get comfortable around someone._

I rest my chin on Victoria's shoulder, still holding her hand tight, "More fool them. They're missing out on getting to know the girl behind the Vortex. She's well worth the time."

She laughs and squeezes my hand, "Oh Max, you never fail to say the right thing."

_At least she's smiling again._

I grin cheekily at her, "That's why I'm here, to provide dorky puns and shameless flattery."

We sit there in silence for a while, Victoria's back pressed into me, my arms wrapped firmly around her and our fingers intertwined.

_She is so warm, I could easily fall asleep like this._

Just as I feel my eyes begin to close, Victoria speaks again, "As much as I dislike Chloe, I also envy her. She's just herself and doesn't suck up to anyone. It takes a lot of courage just to be yourself. As much as we don't get on, she's being straight with me. I know where we stand, not like with everyone else."

_Chloe sure is a special case._

"You know, Chloe doesn't really hate you as such. If she did, she would completely ignore you. I think she enjoys having someone who can keep up with her arguing without immediately winning, like Rachel."

She doesn't seem totally convinced by this, "You think?"

I kiss Victoria's cheek, "Yep, but don't tell her I said that. She'd so beat my ass down."

Victoria laughs, "Fine, but you owe me, Caulfield."

* * *

**Day 53**

**Victoria's POV** **\- Outside the Chase House - 1:09 pm**

As I pull into the driveway, the imposing building where I spent the vast majority of my childhood comes into view and my heart begins to race.

_I'm not sure I can do this. What if my mom makes Max feel bad? What if she puts her off? What if…?_

Just as panic begins to set in, I feel something warm on my hand and look down, seeing that Max has placed her hand on mine. I lift my head and gaze into her soft blue eyes. She leans over and kisses me, the tenderness of it sending shivers down my spine. Her face is so close to mine, "You don't have to do this, you know."

_I almost want to turn around, run away with Max and never look back… but that won't solve anything._

I shake my head, "I have to face them at some point. Besides, I don't want to hide this."

Max nods and squeezes my hand reassuringly, giving me one last kiss before we exit my car. I swallow hard and begin what feels like a death march. My feet drag along the stone driveway, losing their resolve to move with every step. Max slips her hand into mine again as we walk to the ominous door. Her touch calms my nerves and gives me the strength I need to carry this through.

_I'm not sure if this is for my benefit or hers… maybe both._

When we reach the door, her grip on my hand tightens, "Let's do this."

I lift my shaking hand and knock on the door as confidently as I can. As the seconds tick by, my foot taps impatiently and it becomes harder to resist running. I glance over to Max, who looks as nervous as I feel.

_Had she not been here, I would have long since gone._

I squeeze her hand, causing her to look up and gives me a smile that could keep me sane through any difficulties I faced. I find myself smiling back at her, hoping I can offer her just as much solace as she has me. All the while, she doesn't let go of my hand.

A few moments later the door opens, revealing a tall blonde haired woman with a dismissive scowl. When she sees me, her jaw tightens, "Victoria. You came."

She seems surprised that I actually turned up. Given my past record, that would have been a fair assumption. More often than not, I had completely ignored my parent's requests. It had caused many an argument.

_I'm tired of arguing and running away. It's time to face them, with Max at my side._

"Well, you wanted me to, so I did."

Mom's eyes fall on Max, her brow furrowing. I glance over to Max, who seems to have noticed all the attention is focused on her. She shuffles her feet awkwardly and looks down at her feet briefly. I motion my arm her way, "Mom, this is Max."

I don’t need to say any more. The way mom's eyes widen slightly indicated that she realized Max was the person I had been talking about. Mom gives her a once over, her expression stoic and her tone impassive, "I see."

_I can't tell what she is thinking. I never could._

She tilts her head to one side, really examining Max. Max hates being the centre of attention, but is really trying hard to hold her own against my mother. It is not a task achieved successfully by many.

_Max…_

After a moment, mom turns back to me. I had expected her to adopt that infamous contempt filled sneer I had inherited, but she seems more curious than disapproving. This catches me off guard. As I try to wrap my head around this, mom turns around and enters the house. I take this as our cue to follow her. I grab onto Max's hand and pull her in behind me. A familiar sight comes into view. We walk down the impressive hallway lined with famous artwork, most of which are original pieces. Max looks on in awe at the walls. I forget that to an outsider, this may seem impressive, but to me it was just an everyday part of my life. I gently grab onto her arm and pull her along with me. We finally reach a door at the end of the hallway on the right, leading to the lounge. We all enter the well-furnished room and take a seat. Max seems a little reluctant to touch or sit on anything.

_She's probably worried she'd break it… which would be a fair assumption given Max's track record. She does have a knack for breaking things._

I take her arm and guide her down onto the white leather couch, while mom takes one of the chairs opposite us. An awkward silence fills the room as we sit there. Every so often I look over to Max, who offers me a small nervous smile in response.

_While awkward silences were not uncommon occurrences in this house, now was exceptionally long._

After what seems like eternity, mom speaks, "Your father is away at a meeting as you may have guessed."

_When isn't he? He always has something to do._

I lean back in the couch, my fingers lightly brushing Max's hand, "I assumed he would be."

Mom keeps her upright posture in her chair, "He's at a very important meeting."

_All his meetings seem to be important._

"Yeah."

More silence passes. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Max's leg twitching in discomfort. She looks so nervous, her whole body tense. I reach over nonchalantly and place my hand on her knee to stop it. She places her hand over mine almost immediately and smiles at me, her body relaxing significantly. I can't help but smile back at her.

_There is something about Max's smile that is so infectious. No matter how I'm feeling, as soon as I see her shy dorky grin, all my worries seems to just disappear._

I can feel mom's eyes burn into me as I do this, but I don't care.

_Max is all that matters to me right now._

Mom clears her throat, "So, Max."

Max straightens up at the mention of her name and snaps her head towards mom, "Y-yes, Mrs Chase."

My mom doesn't insist on being addressed by her first name like Max's parents did, not that I had expected her to. Her eyes bore into Max's, causing her to swallow hard, "How did you meet my daughter?"

Max glances at me for a second, then clears her throat, "Well, we are in the same photography class. We got talking and… one thing led to another as they say."

Before we came here, Max and I agreed to keep it vague.

_I'm not sure how the details of our meeting would go down too well with my mom. Also, it's embarrassing._

She nods, continuing the silence between us. Just when I think the silence is going to be never ending, mom stiffly moves her head to face Max, "Max, may I have a word with you, in private?"

Max bites her lip, worrying it between her teeth, "Um… of course."

This is obviously my cue to leave.

_I don't want to leave Max, but I have little choice._

I go to stand up, but before I do, I place a kiss on Max's cheek and whisper in her ear, "My room is the third door on the right upstairs. I'll wait there. Don't keep me waiting too long."

Max's breath is warm on my skin, her voice low, "I wouldn't dream of keeping Victoria Chase waiting."

I take one last look at mom before leaving and making my way upstairs. As I climb them, I sigh and glance back at the lounge door.

_I sure hope Max will be ok._

* * *

**Max's POV**

With Victoria gone, the tense atmosphere only increases. I shift uncomfortably on the couch, waiting for Victoria's mom to speak. She seems to be thinking over something which worries me.

_Oh man, this is so awkward._

I play with the bands on my wrist for comfort and take a few calming breaths. Victoria's mom sighs, the sudden noise making me jump. Her eyes pierce into me, making me want to fidget. I resist the urge, "Why are you dating my daughter?"

The directness of her question is unexpected and throws me. I hadn't explained my reasoning to anyone before. I mean, I guess I know why, but could I actually express it properly? Words were not my strong point, but for Victoria's and my own sake I would try. I shuffle my feet awkwardly as I think of the best way to say everything, "Well… it's kind of hard to put into words. I'll try though."

Victoria's mom continues to stare at me, waiting for a response. I'm coming up blank, my mind shutting down.

_Don't overthink it, Max. Just say how you feel._

I rub the back of my neck anxiously, take a deep breath and try to sound as confident and sure as I possibly can, "She's just… amazing really."

Her eyes widen a little at my words, but other than this she remains passive.

_I had half expected her to cut me off right now, so I guess I should go for broke._

I sit up straighter, relaxing my hunched over shoulders, "I've spent quite a lot of time with her over the past month or so and I can safely say that she's just everything I could have possibly hoped for. She's kind, loyal, smart, talented and beautiful goes without saying… not that it's really a big deal or anything. She's more than just her looks."

_Keep it together, Max._

"I really admire her photography. Her pictures are very Avedon-esque and I can see she puts so much effort into her passion."

_If only I had half as much drive as Victoria, I'd be putting my work out there._

I'm getting surer of my words as I speak, "A lot of people only see one side of her, but I've seen another. It's a side she hides behind because… I think she's scared that people won't like the real Victoria Chase. That couldn't be further from the truth though… because that's the person I've grown to… love really,” I look away at this point, feeling a bit embarrassed to admit this to Victoria's mom, but it's the truth, "I have loved every single second I have spent with her, and I always will."

When I look up again, Victoria's mom has a weird expression on her face. I can't tell if it's a good or bad thing.

_She probably was expecting something more eloquent, instead she got my clumsy, soft spoken and unorganized mess... but at least it came from the heart._

She closes her eyes, her elbow resting on the arm of her chair and her cheek resting on her hand.

_Oh man, I haven't been this nervous since I was waiting to see if I got into Blackwell… and that was pretty terrifying. This is ten times worse._

Her eyes open and focus on me, "I have heard people call my daughter a lot of things, most of them unpleasant or purely for the purpose of gaining something for themselves, be it fame, fortune or… other reasons,” her face contorts into one of annoyance and disapproval at this.

_I expect that Victoria has had a lot of people chasing after her. Maybe that's one of the reasons she puts on such a cold and discerning attitude. She probably attracts her fair share of assholes just wanting to… well mess around._

Victoria's mom inhales deeply before continuing, "What I rarely come across is someone who describes my daughter in such a way as you have," she pauses for a moment, gathering her thoughts, "There has only been one other person I know of who has spoken of her in such a way, given from a different perspective. That person was Nathan Prescott,” she taps her fingers on the arm of her chair, "Victoria hardly ever opens up to people, her father and I included, so she must trust you. Whenever she looks at you, she smiles and there is a glint in her eyes I have not seen in a long time,” something in her eyes shifts, "I suppose I should thank you for that."

I sit there completely stunned, my jaw dropping.

_I was not expecting that at all._

Victoria's mom sighs and turns her head to look out of the window, "That's all I wished to discuss."

I take it that this is when I'm supposed to leave, "Ok, Mrs Chase."

I stand up and walk over to the door. As I reach out for the door handle, a voice pulls me back, "Amanda,” I pause, turning back as the voice calls out confidently again, "My name is Amanda."

My lips tug upwards into a small smile, "Ok, Amanda,” with that, I leave to find Victoria.

* * *

**Victoria's POV** **\- Victoria's Room**

I lay on my bed, waiting for Max to return. I feel uneasy at the prospect of her coming under fire.

_Mom is not the most tactful or forgiving person, much like myself._

I glance down at my phone, tapping my fingers impatiently against my leg.

_Max has been gone a long time. I'm starting to get worried. I hope she's ok._

I hear the door creak and a freckled face I know well peers inside, "Oh thank dog I found the right room. I was starting to think I'd missed it,” she enters my room, pulling the door closed behind her and makes her way over to my bed and flops down beside me.

"How did it go?" I tentatively ask.

Max turns over on her side to face me and shuffles closer, placing her arm around me and weaving her leg between mine.

_She always tries to get as much contact with me as possible, something I really appreciate._

"Well, I think it went fine, more than fine really,” she sounds more confident than I expected her to, which is a good sign.

I kiss her nose, resting my forehead against hers, "I never should have doubted that you of all people would make my mother crack. I really have no idea how you do it."

Max grins, "Magic."

I roll my eyes playfully at her, causing her to laugh. Just as I am about to retaliate there is a knock at my door. It can only be mom. Part of me wants to pull away from Max, but this is only a small part that still hasn't fully processed that mom has accepted the fact Max and I are dating. I resist the urge and instead call out, "It's open."

My mom steps into my room. When her eyes fall on us, I swear I see the faintest of smiles forming on her face, her eyes softening a fraction, "I don't wish to intrude, but I shall be away for a couple of days, as will your father and I would rather not leave the house unattended."

I nod, understanding what she is implying, "You're ok staying here for the weekend, right Max?"

Max beams, "Totally. We've got this, Amanda."

I glance over to mom in disbelief. Not many people can call mom by her first name and get away with it. Mom visibly smiles at my shock, something I haven't seen from her in years, "I'll leave you girls to it," she leaves, closing the door to give us some privacy.

_I'm not sure what just happened._

I shake my head, smiling at Max, "Maybe you really do have magic powers, Caulfield."

Max snuggles up closer, smirking smugly at me, "I did tell you."

"Never change, Max."

She closes her eyes and sighs contently against my neck, "I don't plan on it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Victoria and Max are alone for the weekend at Victoria’s house. What could possibly happen? Find out next chapter (might take two chapters, we’ll see).  
> Have an awesome day and stay safe out there.


	18. Release Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I’m finally free of exams (and writer’s blocks) for now so I can focus more on writing… finally. Thank you all for your continued support and patience. You guys are awesome!
> 
> The chapters before this one have undergone a major overhaul (May-June 2016). The basic storyline is still the same, however there is much more detail and even new dialogue in some cases. It may be worth having a look over that if you haven’t already.
> 
> Some of the stuff in bound may be NSFW, just as a heads up. That’s all I’m saying :p  
> Enjoy

**Chapter Eighteen: Release Me**

**Day 53**

**Max’s POV – Victoria’s Room – 4:36 pm**

Victoria and I lay on her bed, snuggled up in a fuzzy blanket as we watch one of the many generic rom-coms she has stashed away in her room. I am actually surprised, impressed and a bit jealous of her movie collection. It even rivals the Prescott dorm’s self-proclaimed pop pirate connoisseur’s movie flash drive, a feat I never thought possible. Warren sure loves his films and has little prejudice against genres or themes.

As the film plays quietly in the background, Victoria and I exchange brief touches and kisses, not really paying attention to the plot line… not that we have to. It’s the same as literally every single rom-com ever made on this planet. Girl meets boy in a weird situation and they most definitely hate each other’s guts at first. They slowly fall in love, something happens to briefly stop them being together, which they finally overcome and then they live happily ever after. It’s a simple equation and we always know what is going to happen, but it still gets us every time.

_If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it as the saying goes…_

I glance over at Victoria to see a smile tugging at her lips. I hadn’t really pegged her as the rom-com type, but here we are. Thinking back, our relationship kind of started out as a cheesy rom-com plot, in fact I’m sure I’ve watched something similar at one point from Warren’s flash. There really is some weird shit on there. This is way better than some film though. I squeeze Victoria’s hand lightly as I once again place my lips against hers.

_I could sit here and do this all day… I guess if we wanted to we could now._

I rest my head against her shoulder and sigh contently as she plays with my fingers, gently pushing them from side to side with faint curiosity. Heat radiates from her as our shoulders touch and I feel my eyes close.

_It’s moments like these that I would love to replay forever and ever._

I hear her giggle, “Oh no, Caulfield. Don’t even dare think about falling asleep on me.”

I open my eyes lazily at her and mumble, “I wasn’t.”

She scoffs, “You so were. Don’t try to deny it.”

“Maaaaaybe,” I admit.

She sighs and shakes her head, “What am I going to do with you?”

“Love me, feed me and never leave me,” I say.

“Trust you to quote something like Garfield at me,” she mumbles under her breath.

My eyebrows raise in shock, “Wait… the great Victoria Chase watches Garfield?”

She clears her throat before answering, “On occasion.”

“And you call _me_ a nerd,” I chuckle.

Before Victoria can come up with an apropos retort, her door creaks open to reveal her mom, “I just thought I’d let you know that I am on my way out. You girls had better behave yourselves while I’m gone. I do expect the house to still be standing by the time I get back.”

“You’ve got nothing to fear,” I offer Victoria a cheeky grin, “I’ll make sure to keep Victoria in check.”

“Hey!” she exclaims, pouting in mock annoyance at my selling her out.

Amanda shakes her head, suppressing a smile as she waves us goodbye, “If you need anything, you know how to reach me. See you two in a couple of days.”

We return the wave as she walks out of Victoria’s room and descends the stairs. A few seconds later, we hear the front door close as she exits the house, leaving the two of us completely alone. A slight sense of nervousness slowly creeps its way into my mind as I think this.

_Victoria and I… completely alone for a few days…_

My mind begins to wander, imagining all the possible scenarios that could happen over this long weekend here, some of which are… mildly explicit. I bite my lip anxiously and side eye Victoria to make sure she doesn’t notice the obvious look of embarrassment plastered to my face right now.

_Dog, Max. Get your mind out of the gutter. You’re probably going to spend your time geeking out over some anime shows like the major nerds we are and just messing around in general._

I take a deep breath and decide to focus back on the film… at least try to at any rate. It’s really hard to do with Victoria so close to me. The thing is, if I suddenly started an impromptu make out session that led to… other things, she’d probably happily go along with it. I’ve never been that impulsive though, not like Chloe who is the literal embodiment of spontaneity. When she wants something, there is little that can get in her way. It’s at times like this I wish I was more like her.

Victoria catches me staring at her and offers me an amused grin, causing me to immediately avert my gaze.

_Jeez, Max. What is wrong with you?_

When the film finally ends, I stretch out and look over to Victoria, “So… what now?”

She offers me a coy smile, “Now Max, we have the house to ourselves until Monday evening.”

“That didn’t answer my question,” I point out. It’s not that I don’t think we’ll be able to find stuff to do, I just like to know roughly what’s going wherever possible.

She looks at me with an almost indecipherable expression, her voice low, “It wasn’t meant to. I’m sure we’ll think of something to keep us… occupied.”

“You enjoy toying with me, huh?” I timidly question, suddenly _very_ aware of every single point of contact between us.

She smirks mischievously, “It’s my favorite pastime.”

I roll my eyes playfully at her, “I don’t know who’s worse, you or Chloe.”

She takes my hand and places a small kiss on the back of it before gazing deeply into my eyes, her voice husky, “Are you willing to find out?”

“M-maybe…” I stammer from the unexpected intimacy. You’d have thought that after everything we’ve been through I wouldn’t get like this, but something about Victoria just turns me into a quivering mess. It’s both infuriating and exciting to me. No-one has ever made me feel so conflicted and confused as she does now.

She carefully untangles herself from me and pulls the blanket off as she stands up, “Well, first things first we need to sort out some food. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” as if on cue my stomach grumbles, much to my embarrassment and Victoria’s amusement, “I’ll take that as a yes then.”

I laugh nervously, “I… guess so.”

“What do you fancy? We can get pretty much anything in you’d like,” Victoria offers casually, taking her phone out ready to order something.

“Actually, I was wondering…” I begin, my words getting caught in my throat.

_I have no idea how she will react to this suggestion. Let’s hope she doesn’t get mad… not that I think she will._

“Yes…” she prompts.

I swallow hard before asking, “C-can you cook?”

She gets this really condescending expression on her face, “I’m a Chase. I can do anything.”

I raise an eyebrow skeptically at her, “And the unpracticed reply from Victoria as a human being and not simply an extension of her family’s legacy is…”

Her brow furrows slightly, her haughty air fading and replaced with something much more vulnerable, “I… know how to make one thing.”

_It’s almost crazy how different she was just then._

I gather my thoughts and finally speak up once more, “If it’s ok with you, I’d like to try that.”

Victoria’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, “Wait, you… want to try my cooking?”

I nod, “Yep.”

She thinks it over for a few moments, then shrugs, “Ok, if you want to get food poisoning I suppose.”

“I’ll risk it,” I add, now extremely curious to see Victoria’s culinary skills.

She gives me an incredulous look, “You really do have a death wish, don’t you?”

I shake my head at her self-doubt and slide my hand into hers, “I trust you. I’ll even give you a hand to check you aren’t trying to bump me off.”

Victoria gives me a long hard look and then shrugs, “Ok then. If you insist.”

* * *

**Victoria’s POV – Kitchen**

I glance over at Max from near the oven top as she carefully chops up the vegetables we need, focusing so as to not chop her finger by accident yet again. I almost took over from her at one point, worried that she would seriously slice straight through her finger. Thankfully, she’s only managed to lightly nick herself.

It feels strange to cook for someone. In the past, everyone steered clear of any food I had touched. The fact that Max would so willingly still want to try after hearing my track record is kind of sweet. I hadn’t expected it from anyone.

She looks up momentarily from her chopping, “So, what are we making exactly.

I carefully transfer a few more ingredients into the pan, “It’s… a stew I learned how to make from one of our cooks when I was little. I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and I tried to help, but wasn’t very good at, well… anything. I ended up just making a huge mess,” I involuntarily grin at the thought of my childhood antics, “One day, she pulled me aside and told me that she’d make sure I could make at least one thing before the end of the week. She managed it, even though she didn’t have much to work with.”

“She sounds like a nice lady,” Max mentions as she brings over the freshly chopped vegetables.

She hands the to me and I place them in the pot, “She was. I… haven’t seen her in a while though. Mom and dad got rid of her when I was old enough to look after myself… at least the age they deemed I should be able to anyway.”

“Maybe you should try getting in contact with her,” Max suggests as she puts the used kitchenware in the sink and runs the water ready to wash them up.

I exhale deeply at this suggestion and watch as the stew begins to bubble, “Oh please, Max. I was just some spoiled rich kid she had to entertain and cook for to get money.”

_That’s the reality of it after all. There’s no use kidding myself._

Max doesn’t look like she buys that one bit, “You sure? I don’t think you believe that.”

“What makes you say that?” I ask as I idly stir the stew.

“The way you looked just then,” she states matter-of-factly, “It was softer than your usual expression.”

I feel my cheeks heat up at being caught out and fiddle awkwardly with a short strand of my blonde hair. Not many people would call me out and those that did would more often than not get their head bitten off by me. Max is… different though.

“Maybe I will look into it,” I mumble.

“I think you should,” she asserts as she places the now clean knife back in the drawer, then turns back to me, “This kind of reminds me a bit of when I was a kid.”

I raise an eyebrow questioningly, “Oh, how so?”

Max finishes washing up and wipes her wet hands on the towel hanging on the wall, “Well, before I moved away to Seattle, I spent a lot of time round at Chloe’s house. Her mom, Joyce, is actually a pretty good cook. I always used to help her.”

I can’t help but feel slightly irritated at the mention of Chloe’s name. I had seen how she looked at Max sometimes and, while I don’t think Chloe would do anything to hurt her, it is painfully obvious that she would definitely date Max, or at the very least sleep with her, given half the chance. Even the way Max herself looks at Chloe sometimes sets my teeth on edge. I have a sneaking suspicion that if she hadn’t moved away to Seattle when she did, the two of them would have hooked up and probably still be together right now. This makes me feel both sad and pissed off.

I try not to let my annoyance show as I reply, my voice strained to remain calm, “You and Chloe sure go a long way back, huh?”

She leans against the counter and looks over my stony expression, “Are you jealous, Ms. Chase?”

“No,” I answer all too quickly, then bite my lip and mentally kick myself for sounding so pathetic.

_My stupid jealousy is not Max’s problem and I shouldn’t make it hers either._

I hear shuffling and when I look up, I see Max making her way over to me. She gently backs me up against one of the walls and glances up at me before placing a tender kiss on my lips, one that she repeats, each time longer than the last. I can almost feel the reassurance she is trying to channel into the kisses and feel my heart immediately calm. I slide my hands into the back pockets of her jeans, drawing her closer to me. Even knowing we are alone, I still half expect mom to just come walking in her and seeing us making out in the kitchen.

When Max finally pulls away, she offers me a soothing smile, “You don’t have anything to worry about. Chloe is like a sister to me and she’s got Rachel, who is more than enough for one person to handle.”

I sigh, feeling really stupid, “Yeah. I just… get jealous easily.”

“I hadn’t figured,” she chuckles, placing a hand on my cheek and giving me one last kiss before gazing deeply into my eyes, “I only have eyes for you, Victoria.”

The directness of her statement catches both of us off guard and we end up blushing like two teens fumbling over the right words to say to their crush, which isn’t too far off what this situation is really. The sound of the pot bubbling over finally breaks us out of our trance and I stride over to turn it down.

“I think it’s nearly done,” I mention as I grab a couple of bowls from one of the cupboards as well as some spoons from the drawer.

“Um… where’s the bathroom?” Max asks awkwardly.

“Oh, I see, leave me to set up while you hide, huh?” I remark, trying to ease her embarrassment, “It’s the last door on the right on this floor.”

“Thanks,” she grins as she heads on down the hallway.

While Max is gone, I find some bread to have with our meal and even break out a small bottle of white wine mom put aside for us if we wanted it. I remember that we have some candles somewhere in one of the drawers and figure I may as well go all out. When I finally locate them along with some matches, I place them in the middle of the table and light them up.

When Max returns, she seems impressed, “Well, well. Look at you getting all romantic and pulling out all the stops.”

“You’re not the only romantic sap here, Caulfield,” I chuckle as she makes her way over to me.

She offers me a smug smirk, “I see that now. I knew I’d rub off on you eventually.”

Without further hesitation, we sit down in two of the seats next to one another. I pass Max a bowl and serve up the stew, pouring out a healthy measure of wine to have along with it. She thanks me and takes a chunk of bread while I serve myself.

My heart races as I watch Max with bated breath. I’m all of a sudden feeling extremely nervous about her trying my cooking. She dips her spoon in the bowl and then lifts it up to her lips, blowing on it gently before placing it in her mouth. She certainly isn’t giving anything away right now.

“So, what’s the verdict?” I ask hesitantly.

Max seems to be thinking it over, then suddenly she starts coughing and hacking. My eyes widen in panic as she struggles to breath, “Max!” I call out, ready to jump out of my seat to go help her. It is then that I see the faintest of smiles forming on her lips.

Just as suddenly as she’d started coughing, she stops and stifles a giggle, “You should have seen your face. I wish I’d taken a picture.”

I narrow my eyes at her, “So not funny, Max. I was seriously worried.”

She grins cheekily at me, “Aw come on, don’t pout. You have to admit it was funny.”

I can’t stay mad for long when she flashes that dorky grin of hers, “Maybe a little. Don’t do it again though.”

She looks at me earnestly, nudging her foot against mine, “I won’t and I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

My mind immediately jumps to many a compromising situation that would resolve in Max making it up to me and can’t help but grin like a huge dork, “Oh, will you now?”

Max blushes lightly at my suggestive tone, “Y-yeah. I’ll think up something.”

I lean my head on my hand and smirk at her, “I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”

We finish of our meal and our first glass of wine. I move onto my second as we idly chatting about whatever comes to mind. Max loosens up a lot as we get talking, starting to become accustomed to her new surroundings. I had noticed it take her a while to really get comfortable in a new place. It had been the same when she first started frequenting my room. Now she essentially treats it as her own… which sometimes frustrates me to no end when I find out that one of her worn socks has somehow found its way into my drawer.

_Still I wouldn’t change her for anything._

“Why are you smiling like that?” Max asks suspiciously.

I feel a light blush forming on my cheeks at being caught so blatantly staring at her, “I’m just… enjoying myself is all.”

Her expression of mild curiosity suddenly changes and she beams at me, “Me too. I’m glad we came here in the end.”

I’m sure things wouldn’t have worked out so well with mom if it had been anyone other than Max. She has a way with people when she tries. When we’ve finished up, we decide to head on back upstairs to my room. Max flops down on my bed once more, sighing contently and resting her hands on her stomach, “I am stuffed now. That was delicious.”

I join her on the bed, “You’d better not be just saying that for my sake.”

She sits up and gently kisses my lips, “Not likely. I’ll have you know I’m not one for undeserved flattery.”

I respond in kind with my own kiss, one that is much firmer and passionate than the first. I just can’t get enough of her and I don’t think I ever will be able to. As my fingers brush against the small of her back, I feel her tense up against me. Sensing that something is wrong, I pull away and place a hand on her knee, squeezing gently, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Max’s brow furrows in confliction as she takes a deep shuddery breath, “I… have something I need to talk to you about.”

* * *

**Max’s POV**

Victoria looks at me in confusion, but doesn’t say anything. She just sits there waiting patiently for me to continue.

_Come on, Max. This shouldn’t be so hard to do. You’ve practiced this harder than you have done for any test before._

I clutch at a scrunched up piece of paper in my hoodie pocket, my mind wandering back…

* * *

**Day 48**

**Outside Rachel’s Room - 5:06 pm**

I take a deep breath and knock on the suddenly imposing door of Room 224. It takes everything I have not to bolt right now.

_No, Max. you’ve come too far now to give up._

“Doors open,” a familiar voice calls out. I push on the door and enter Rachel’s room to find Chloe sprawled out on her bed, a common occurrence nowadays.

_Does she actually go home at any point? I’m not so sure._

When I step inside, she looks up at me accusingly, “Ah, I see you’ve finally decided to come see poor old Chloe now.”

I roll my eyes playfully at her, “Ha ha. Very funny.”

She grins at me impishly, “You’ve been so caught up in your dalliances with Ms. Chase lately that I haven’t seen much of you,” she raises an eyebrow suggestively, “I can only imagine what you two have been doing.”

I rub the back of my neck awkwardly, “A-actually, that’s kind of why I’m here.”

Chloe’s eyebrows raise in surprise, then her eyes twinkle with amusement, “Oh, really?” she looks at me interestedly, waiting for further explanation as I worry my lip between my teeth anxiously.

_How do I even begin?_

I swallow nervously, “Well… um… I…”

_This is so hard to talk about, but I have to. I would talk with Victoria, but I don’t know. It kind of feels embarrassing, which seems stupid. I just don’t want to mess things up and I know Chloe will help me. She knows me better than anyone… including myself._

“This is kind of embarrassing to talk about,” I admit, already feeling apprehension grip at my heart.

“My favorite kind of chats with you, Max,” she chuckles mischievously as she pats the space beside her on the bed and I immediately begin to regret this.

_Chloe will probably just tease me about it… no that’s not fair. If it’s something serious she always makes sure to help. She only teases to lighten the mood and chill me out, which it does._

Deciding to take a chance, I join Chloe on Rachel’s bed and take a deep breath, “Ok, so basically Victoria and I have been getting… close if you get what I mean.”

Chloe nods eagerly, waiting for me to continue. She isn’t usually the most patient of people, but when it’s important she really listens and doesn’t complain about how long it takes.

I nervously wring my hands, “I want to, you know, get… closer, but…”

Chloe tilts her head to the side curiously, gently prompting me, “But?”

That is all it takes for my bottled up insecurities to suddenly tumble from my lips, “I’m worried I’ll mess it all up, that I won’t be able to… make her feel good. I don’t really know what I’m doing and… and…” I rub my face with my hands, “I don’t know, Chloe. I’m just kind of scared if I’m going to be honest.”

She is quiet for a few moments, deep in thought, “While I’m always ready to help you out as you know, I’m just not really sure why you’re telling _me_ all this instead of Victoria.”

I can see why she would be confused by this, so I begin to clarify, “Because… I really don’t want to mess things up, you know? I just want things to work out and I feel like admitting it to her would be jinxing it or something. I was going to tell her before but each time I try, I just end up chickening out.”

_I want to make it perfect, to show Victoria that she’s important to me and I feel like I could fuck everything up if I have no clue what I’m doing. I feel so stupid, because I’m pretty sure that Victoria would tell me I’m being an idiot, but I can’t help it if that’s how I feel. Maybe I just need some Chloe Price style reassurance._

“And I… I just thought that with you and Rachel that you’d be able to help me out… maybe, since you know…” my words get swallowed up by the silence as my cheeks turn pink.

“Need help from the love goddesses themselves, huh?” Chloe chuckles in an attempt to lighten the mood. Her smile does put me at ease, just like when we were kids. No matter how bad a day I had, knowing that I was going to see her again always made it so much easier to deal with all the shit during the day.

She ponders this for a few moments, tapping her fingers lightly against her leg as her face becomes more serious, “Max, you’re my best friend and…” she pauses for a moment, “if you’re really considering doing that, then I want you to have a good time… maybe Victoria too.”

She reaches under Rachel’s bed and produces a clear plastic sleeve. Inside is a blank disk, which she places on the bed and points to, “I am entrusting this to you, Max. It is a prized possession so don’t go losing it. Otherwise, you will have two very pissed off people demanding your blood.”

_No prizes for guessing who._

I pick it up and inspect it with curiosity, turning it slowly over in my hand. There isn’t any indication of what is on the disk. No writing or pictures...

_Slightly worrying._

I look at Chloe questioningly, “What is it?”

She winks at me and grins, “You’ll find out when you watch it. I think it’ll help you with this whole situation.”

* * *

**Max’s Room – 10:37 pm**

I sit at my desk, desperately trying to actually get some work done. The disk Chloe gave me earlier catches my eye, just begging me to watch.

_I’m kind of worried about what is on it. But it might help me…_

Failing to overcome the massive temptation to watch it, I take the disk out of the case. I place my finger in the hole and twirl it round my finger, trying to figure out whether I should dare watch it.

_Fuck it. I’d rather mentally scar myself than not knowing what I’m doing. Things have been getting more heated up each time and I’ve been wanting to do more. Besides, I’m curious to know what’s on it._

I place the disk in my laptop and tap my fingers impatiently, trying to prepare myself.

_Best to put headphones in. Something tells me I’m going to need them._

I place the ear buds in my ears as the disk loads and suddenly an image appears on screen. When I realize what’s going on I almost fall off my chair in shock. I quickly slam the screen on my laptop down and can feel my cheeks heat up.

_Jesus, Chloe. What the fuck was that? Can the human body even do that?_

I try to steady myself, taking a deep breath to get my heart rate under control.

_Warren has some weird shit on his flash drive, but this…_

I run my fingers through my hair, trying to calm my beating heart.

_Why am I even surprised? When I get my hands on her…_

I cautiously open my laptop and punch the eject button, immediately removing the disk. As I go to put it back in the sleeve and contemplate as to whether I should throw it out of my window or not, a slip of paper falls out of the DVD sleeve. I pick it up. ‘To Mad Max’ is written in blue and I immediately recognize Chloe’s scruffy handwriting.

_Oh, this should be good._

I open the paper and begin to read.

**Max, sorry I couldn’t help myself.**

_I kind of walked into it I guess. I should have known better._

**Before you ask, no that is not how this shit works. I wish it did. I have no idea how they did any of that stuff, believe me I’ve tried, so has Rach and she is pretty flexible. I have reach, but she has flexibility.**

_Too much info, Chloe. Also, nerd alert._

**Look, joking aside. I’m not good at saying shit like this aloud, so I thought it would be better to write down everything.**

I close my eyes.

_At least she seems to be taking this partially seriously. She is always there when I need her… not like me._

I sigh, opening my eyes and hold the piece of paper up again so I can read it.

**Just do what feels good. I can’t really give you any other advice than that, because it’s different for each person. You just have to try things and learn what you and Victoria both like. Experiment a bit. That’s the only way I’m afraid.**

_I was afraid she’d say that._

**I can’t say I’ve personally been able to tame the Queen Bitch of Blackwell myself, so I have no clue what she’s into, otherwise I could help more. Maybe when you’re finished with her… I’m joking, don’t hit me.**

_She really can’t help herself, can she?_

My eyes continue to scan the note.

**Just be yourself and relax. Don’t overthink it, like you always do. I know you, and you can’t deny it.**

_I could try to deny it, but I’d be lying._

**Let your instincts take over. I’m sure you get the basic concept anyway, you’re not totally naïve. I do actually have some more accurate DVD’s if you really want to look, although I’m sure after that display you’ve probably been put off porn for a while.**

_What makes you say that, Chloe? It’s not like that was the single most terrifying experience of my life._

**Look, sex isn’t the be all and end all. I mean sure it can be hella fun, but the really important thing is just enjoying the time you spend with the person you love and I can tell that you really do love Victoria. Oh don’t look so surprised. Even after five years you’re still Max Caulfield. You need to work on that poker face of yours. Don’t think I haven’t seen those looks you give her, Caulfield. You’re fooling no-one.**

I can imagine her grinning smugly at having figured me out.

**Also, I can tell Victoria is really into you too. Who wouldn’t be? I mean, you’re smart, funny and**

There is a word that has been scribbled out vigorously which I try to decipher it, but can’t.

_What did you put, Chloe?_

The writing continues.

**a complete nerd. Nerds are hot. I totally bet Victoria is into all that kinky nerdy role-playing shit. You can play sexy nurses together or whatever. I’d pay to see that.**

The image pops into my head. I try to shake it, but it is burnt into my mind and makes me blush.

**Did I make Max blush?**

_She is such a little shit._

I bet she was laughing to herself when she wrote this, knowing how I would react. She knows me too well.

**Look, don’t rush into anything. You guys have plenty of time to explore and shit. Victoria is the only person you can really talk with this about. I know it’s embarrassing, but that will fade with time. She probably has her own ideas about that sort of stuff.**

_How do I even start that kind of conversation?_

**What I’m trying to say is… I know you will be fine, so don’t worry. Just enjoy what you have going and take it at a pace you are both comfortable with.**

At the bottom, there is more writing.

**p.s. can I have my DVD back? Rachel is feeling ambitious today.**

I shake my head, suppressing a smile as I pick up the DVD and walk down the corridor to Rachel’s room. I tap lightly on the door and it opens almost immediately to reveal Chloe leaning against the doorframe, grinning from ear to ear, “You enjoy the show?”

I playfully push her, “Oh, of course I did. I really do love watching a good old demonic possession.”

Chloe chuckles, “Enough of the sarcasm…” she seems to be considering something for a moment, “but I have to admit, it kind of does look like that.”

I hug her, really thankful that she cares so much, “Thanks.”

Her arms envelop me, pulling me into a bone crushing hug, “No problem, Super Max.”

“Super Max still needs air,” I choke out before she lets go.

She grins at me and playfully punches my arm, “Knock ‘em dead.”

* * *

**Day 53**

I gather my thoughts, quickly running over the things I want to say to her right now and bite the bullet, “Victoria… I… this past month or so has been the best of my life and… I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”

“ _I’m_ the lucky one,” she corrects, placing a hand over mine and intertwining our fingers.

I offer her a small smile before continuing, “I’m not very good at expressing myself with words really. It’s always been an issue and I always end up rambling… like now.”

She presses her lips to my cheek, which only serves to intensify the nerves I am feeling right now, “It’s ok, Max. Take your time.”

I swallow hard and bite my lip, “Every time we get into an… intimate situation I always end up getting cold feet. I…” my voice comes out much lower than before, “I _want_ to go further with you, Victoria. I really do, more than I can actually put into words, but…”

She squeezes my hand reassuringly, gently encouraging me to press on. I look up to her face and see her expression is so soft and her eyes comforting. Again, she says nothing, letting me speak my mind without interruption.

I strengthen my resolve and dive straight in at the deep end, “I’m scared… no terrified that I’ll fuck everything up. I’ve never done… it before and I just… want to make you feel good,” my voice gets lost in the silence as I look down at our hands. Her hands are larger than mine, probably not as big as Chloe’s though, with long slender fingers and painted manicured nails.

Victoria shuffles closer to me, putting her other hand on my cheek and gently turning my face to hers, “Max, you _already_ make me feel good and I’m sure that if the time comes that we go further you’ll do amazingly at it. I know you won’t fuck anything up…” she places a kiss on my forehead, “you never could,” her expression becomes more vulnerable than I have ever seen before, “You know, I might be a bit scared too.”

“A bit?” I ask.

“Ok, maybe a lot,” she reluctantly admits, “It’s not like I’ve had much experience with this either. In fact, the furthest I’ve gone is with you if you’d believe…”

_I guess most people would assume that she’s slept with half of Blackwell, not that it should factor into anything. Still, it must be hard knowing that’s what people think of you, especially when you know it’s completely false._

I put my hand over hers, “I believe you, Victoria. Even if you had done this before, it wouldn’t matter to me in the slightest.”

Her lip quirks up into a small smile, “…and that’s ok. We just take things at our own pace and let it just happen.”

I nod in agreement, my eyes roaming over her face, desperately searching for the right words to say here. After a few moments, I steel my resolve, “I think…” I cut myself off before continuing.

_No, Max Caulfield. You are not going to do this half-heartedly. You don’t think you want this… you **know** you want this._

I gently take Victoria’s hand in mine, shaking slightly from nerves as I lean in and whisper a sentence only ever intended for her ears alone, my voice husky and quiet, yet confident, “… no, I _want_ you.”

I have never been so sure of any decision. Usually, I am so painfully indecisive that life just passes me by. I won’t let it this time, not when it’s something I desperately want to do.

Victoria seems a bit taken aback by my bold approach, but this surprise soon fades and is replaced with a flicker of suppressed longing, “Max… are you sure?”

I place my hand on her leg and begin to stroke it gently then lean in close and lightly nibble on her ear lobe, causing her breath to hitch, “Does that answer your question?”

After a moment of hesitation, she captures my lips. Her lips move against mine more roughly this time, making my heart race in anticipation.

_This is actually happening. After all the doubt and worrying, I am finally committing to it and I don’t regret a thing._

I lean in closer to her, putting all the feeling I behind this one kiss to show her that I want this more than anything. I want to feel her skin against mine, to hold her close, touch every single inch of her and commit it to memory. I need to hear her whisper my name when she is teetering on the edge of control… I need her.

I feel the blood rushing in my ears as I shrug off my hoodie, trying not to break our kiss as I do so. Her hands begin to tug lightly at the bottom of my shirt and I hold my arms in the air to allow her to remove it. She throws it to the floor and I then help her out of her shirt. She has been dressing much more casually around me lately, something I’m taking as a good sign. Underneath however is a completely different story. She’s wearing a red lacy bra, it looks to be a pretty expensive one too.

“So… you were anticipating something like this, huh?” I lighty tease.

At this, she goes bright red, almost matching the color of her bra, “Well… I… thought that it… might be a possibility.”

 I shake my head and smile down at her flushed face, “It really suits you.”

“Y-yeah?”

I nod, reaching down and running my hand over the lacy fabric, “Yep. Shame you won’t be wearing it for too long.”

Victoria’s eyebrows shoot upwards, obviously not expecting that kind of response from me. To be honest, I’m pretty surprised as well. Chloe’s obviously rubbing off on me with her seemingly endless supply of bad pick-up lines and flirtations, along with Rachel’s influence of course.

Deciding to take the lead for once, I gently push her back on the bed and straddle her. She follows my lead and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me down to her. Her lips are so soft against mine and her nails brush against my pale skin as they roam my back, exploring every single inch. I quiver at her touch as her hands slide over my ass and she begins to gently squeeze.

I begin leaving a trail of kisses on her neck. She moves her head to allow me more access as I place my lips to her pulse. She shudders as my teeth gently graze her skin and grips onto my ass tighter, briefly distracting me from everything. I look down to see her eyes shimmering as they plead with me to take her to the brink of ecstasy and back. I can’t deny her like this… not anymore. I have reached my limit for holding back now.

“Max,” she whispers, her once confident voice trembling as she runs her hand along my side, sending electric sparks along my spine, “Please…”

She is so mesmerizing right now and I can’t look away. All I can do is comply, give her what she wants… and what _I_ want. Before I have the chance to overthink anything, I return to kissing her neck much to her delight. I pay close attention to each small movement and sound she makes, trying to gauge from her reaction what I should be doing more of. Victoria is ready to give feedback through slight tenses, content sighs, hums of approval and moans, along with digging her nails into my back, so I soon work out roughly where I should be focusing my attention. It’s all trial and error after all for both of us.

Victoria’s hands move up my back to around my shoulder blades. I feel her reaching round to undo my bra when a short sharp ring pierces the air, followed by a phone ringing. We ignore it, too wrapped up in this moment to care. When it doesn’t cease, she groans and grabs it from the side, “Taylor I am busy right now…” I bite down lightly on her neck, causing her to moan softly, “…call back later.”

“She sure picks her times, huh?” I chuckle as she all but throws the phone back on the bedside table.

“That’s one way of putting it. Thankfully it wasn’t important apparently, but I think Taylor may have figured out what was happening,” Victoria mumbles before returning to my bra.

I think her hands are trembling as much as mine as she struggles with my strap. I guess the fact that we know where this is going is making both of us feel a bit shaky. Dreaming and fantasizing about moment like these are very different from actually being in them and two moments won’t be the same. So, even though Victoria and I have thought about this and even nearly made it all the way before, it’s still nerve-wracking.

She finally manages to remove my bra, throwing it to the floor as she arches her back to let me remove hers. She peppers my shoulder and neck with kisses as I fumble around with her strap, making it really hard to focus. This is certainly something she has a knack for. I push on through, trying hard to not lose myself to the desire too soon, and eventually manage to get the damn thing unhooked. I throw it to the floor triumphantly.

Victoria giggles at me, “Well done, Caulfield.”

“Thanks,” I proudly grin before kissing her lips again.

The feeling of our bare skin rubbing together is always such an overwhelming sensation. The friction caused from it only fuels the burning desire building up in my body and my hips begin to move almost of their own accord to heighten the feeling. I move my kiss down from her lips, to her neck and further until I stop in between her breasts. I watch her with interest as I kiss around each breast then work my way over to the centre. It seems that she’s extra crispy sensitive here given the feedback. Her hands begin gently raking down my back as I gently take a nipple between my teeth, rolling my tongue over it and lightly tugging every now and then. She writhes underneath me, one hand gripping on tightly to the sheets with the other tangling in my hair and bringing me closer as one of her legs presses up in between mine. I inhale sharply from the sudden change in pressure and the wave of pleasure it brings. I can see her grin as she varies the amount she presses.

I make my way back up to her face, her leg still pressing up against me as I kiss her deeply. My tongue slides into her mouth, eager to explore her mouth. She sighs contently into my mouth as our tongues dance and her hand wanders down to the button of my jeans. I kiss her harder, signaling that this is what I want her to do. Not breaking the kiss, she manages to pop the button and pull the zipper down, her fingertips brushing over my underwear as she goes. I copy her action, undoing the zip on her pants before helping her out of them and then wriggling out of my own jeans.

We’ve been here before and I chickened out, but not this time. I reposition myself so that I am now laying on my side beside her, figuring that it might be more comfortable and easier for both of us this way. When I am settled, we continue kissing and Victoria’s fingers begin painstakingly wandering along the inside of my thigh, leaving a trail of fire wherever she touches. I bite my lip as they get ever closer to the line where my underwear starts.

_Two can play at this game._

I take my hand and toy with the top of her underwear, my fingers sliding just underneath and running along her skin. I am so aware of every single touch she gives me now. I run my hand over her underwear, teasing her through the fabric. She moves closer to my hand, trying desperately to release herself from this intoxicating state of limbo.

“Max… don’t be such a tease,” she breathes against my skin, her cheeks flushed.

I grin at her, “I can’t help it. You look so cute when your all flustered,” her blush deepens and I giggle at her awkward, vulnerable expression.

Even though this is kind of strange, it feels… right and there is nowhere I’d rather be in this moment than here by her side. Growing ever more impatient she tugs at my underwear, slowly lowering it. Taking the hint, I also help her out of the last piece of clothing much to her relief. I take a moment to just look her over, inspecting every inch of her pale skin.

_Here we go._

My body begins to tingle and my heart beat increases as I slide a finger inside of her. It enters with relative ease and she lets out a shuddery breath. She replies in kind, heat rising between my thighs and threatens to consume me as she pushes deeper. Nothing could have prepared me for this.

I clamp down on the urge to squirm as she explores, starting off with slow circular motions. Waves of pleasure pass through me as I clumsily mimic her actions, trying to remember some of the things I’d read online in preparation for this kind of situation, but pretty much drawing a blank. All I can think about now is her and the very obvious movement of her finger. I’m kind of thankful that she is taking the lead on the part. A coiling tension builds up in the pit of my stomach as she adds another finger and I bite my lip hard to stop a loud moan from passing my lips.

While I know that there’s no-one around, it still feels like I should be quiet. I’m so glad we’re not doing this at Blackwell. The dorm walls are super thin and literally everyone would be able to hear us. I would feel so bad, especially for Kate who would probably be the closest.

“Don’t fight it, Max,” Victoria whispers, her breath warm against my skin, “You don’t have to hold it in.”

Almost as soon as the words have left her mouth, another moan pushes its way through and hangs in the air. I follow up on her action and ease another finger in with increasing ease, her entire body shuddering as I do so. It’s getting harder and harder to concentrate with each passing second. I push back my own ever approaching point of no return in favor of holding out for as long as possible.

“Max,” she whispers as I vary my motions and quicken my pace, trying to focus on the times when her body tightens in an attempt to prolong this. Her own movements lax ever so slightly before she her pace matches mine. The way she says my name, so exposed and unguarded, sends me into overdrive. I can’t think straight now, my mind a haze of desire so desperately in need of release as the coiling in my stomach reaches breaking point and the warm tingling floods my body.

My mouth parts as I lightly pant, feeling sweat trickle down my brow as my vision starts to become unfocused. My heart feels as if it is about to explode from my chest and my toes curl to try and relieve some of the ever heightening pressure. I struggle against the want to find my sweet release right then and there.

“V-Victoria,” I stammer, trying to keep control for just a bit longer. When I open my eyes a fraction, I can see that she is struggling to hold onto her limited composure.

_I have to see… have to…_

“M-m…” Victoria’s voice cuts out, rendering her unable to make coherent sentences as her head lolls back a bit, her eyes closed as she finally gives herself over to the waves of desire. It’s such a beautiful sight to see her like this and I swear that if I remember nothing else in this world, it will be this very moment in time.

Seconds later I give into the almost unbearable sensation, feeling my body seize up for a moment before I reaching an undefined climax. As if a switch has suddenly been flicked, I feel a surge of tingling warmth as the coiling pressure is released, sending shudders through my body. I exhale deeply as my body begins to relax and I remove my hand carefully from in between her thighs. We both lay there for a moment in silence, lightly panting and riding out the last remnants of pleasure. I feel so weak and tired now, my limbs numb and head spinning.

_I almost can’t believe that happened._

When I finally feel up to moving, I shuffle closer to her and snake my arm around her waist, resting my forehead against hers.

Victoria offers me a weary smile, her chest still rising and falling rapidly, “Max, don’t you dare say ‘wowser’ right now. I will so hit you if you do.”

I smirk weakly at her, “Is that a challenge?”

She reaches out a brushes a stray strand of hair from my face and chuckles lightly, “No.”

I lean in a place a tender kiss on her lips, still on a high from what just happened. Never in a million years would I think that I’d be cuddled up in bed with Victoria Chase of all people, let alone that we’d be sleeping together. I suddenly become very self-conscious at how exposed I am right now. It must have shown on my face, because Victoria snuggles up closer to me and kisses my nose, then feels around with her foot for the blanket now pushed to the bottom of her bed and wraps it around us. We hold one another close, our bare skin lightly rubbing together as we lay on her bed.

“Max…” she quietly calls out to me.

“Yeah?” I ask hesitantly, suddenly feeling doubt begin to gnaw at me. Intimate moments like this make me feel so vulnerable and I fear that I will shatter into a million pieces when the illusion fades.

_What if I messed up? What if I’m just not good enough? What if…?_

I feel her hand on my cheek, pulling me back from my self-doubt. She exhales deeply, her expression gentle and tender as she gazes deeply into my eyes, “I love you so much that it makes my heart hurt just from being around you.”

As her words wash over me, the seed of panic threatening to overwhelm me fades, “You might want to get that checked out,” I lightly tease, unable to help myself.

She rolls her eyes playfully at me, before closing them and sighing, “Trust you to say something like that. That’s the last time I say something nice.”

I reach out for her hand and interlock our fingers, “You’re in luck, because I love you too," just before sleep takes hold of me, I snuggle up closer to her and mumble, “So… do you think this makes up for the earlier ‘pretending to die from your food’ incident?”

“It might,” Victoria whispers as her body relaxes against mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, throw me in the sin bin, then come jump in with me. You know you want to…  
> Have an awesome day and see you next time.


	19. The Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. I just noticed that we've hit the 500 kudos mark, which is super awesome and totally unexpected. Thanks to each and every one of you for reading so far. I still have no idea how long this will be, but I'll just keep writing it for as long as possible since you guys seem to be enjoying it so far. How many chapters will I manage I wonder?
> 
> Anyway, enough rambling from me. Without further ado, enjoy.

**Chapter Nineteen: The Morning After**

**Day 54**

**Victoria's POV - Victoria's Room – 9:34 am**

The cheerful chirping of birds from outside filters in through the window rousing me from sleep. My eyes remain closed as I listen to them, gradually becoming aware of how much warmer I feel than normal, as well as noticing that my right arm has gone dead. Curious to find out why, my eyes sleepily flutter open as the hazy drowsiness of slumber slowly fades from my mind. When my vision focuses I realize that I am face to face with Max. Her pale freckled face is inches from mine, her doe-like blue eyes closed and her mid-length brown hair disheveled from sleep… and from last night. Flashes from last night race through my mind and bring a flush to my cheeks, but also a small content smile. I carefully reach out and tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she sleeps. She shifts closer to me and I can feel her breath on my neck, warming my exposed skin.

_I suppose I'm stuck here for now… not that I mind too much._

It takes me a moment to completely process where I am, half-expecting to see the off white colored wall of my Blackwell dorm room. It's been a while since I visited my room here, it must be getting on close to two months now. Even before then I mostly stayed over at Nathan's house because his parents were rarely in, giving us a chance to properly relax. I suspect that I won't mind spending time here as much now, especially when Max is here.

She shuffles in my arms and her vibrant blue eyes slowly flicker open. It takes her a moment to actually size up the situation and figure out where she is, but when she has she offers me a weary smile, "Hey."

I lean over and press my lips briefly to her forehead, "Hi. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, really well actually," she yawns and rubs at her eyes lethargically.

"Ew, morning breath Max," I chuckle as I move my head away a bit.

She offers up an apologetic smile, "Sorry," she rests her head back down on my pillow and as she lays there gazing into my eyes, her smile becomes wider as well as a very slight blush forming on her cheeks. She reaches out and begins playing with my short blonde hair. She softly running her fingers through it, twisting and twirling some of the longer strands around her finger. I find myself returning her grin soon enough, just enjoying the down time.

"It's softer than I expected," she suddenly announces out of the blue. Obviously I must have looked confused because she clarifies, "your hair I mean," she lets it idly fall through her fingers, watching it shimmer in the sunlight with mild interest, "it kind of looks soft anyway, but I guess it just surprised me a bit when I actually touch it," her fingertips brush against my face as she absentmindedly fiddles with my hair, "It's a nice discovery."

"Oh, really?" I respond in a hushed tone so as not to break this moment of relaxed intimacy and smile at her own special brand of rambling I find unexpectedly cute, "Well, I should hope so given the amount of money I spend on hair care products."

"I had seen them all when I went to the bathroom," Max adds thoughtfully, "I think you have more in there than I have ever used in my life… and probably ever will."

I reach out and rest my hand on her freckled cheek, "I don't doubt it."

"You know…" Max begins hesitantly as her cheeks turn pink, "I'm… glad last night turned out how it did."

My eyebrows raise at her admission. I had been expecting her to kind of brush it off given how difficult she finds talking about this kind of thing when not caught up in the moment. There isn't really much to talk about though, unless there was an issue of course and maybe some consideration on potential future encounters. I'm going to force the matter, either way I am happy with Max.

"Me too," I agree as I kiss her tenderly, "I'm glad we waited. It was well worth it."

"Yeah, we should… do it again sometime," she mumbles nervously as she licks her lips.

Max seems to be skirting around the details, which is fine by me. She isn't the most forward of people, getting flustered over anything remotely intimate, both because she's not used to it and it means a lot to her. She isn't the kind of person to sleep with someone to fulfil her sex drive and then never speak to that person again, not that there is anything wrong with that kind of arrangement as long as that's what everyone involved wants. I've known enough people in my time who find that works for them. Max seems to need a more prolonged emotional connection with someone above anything else, with everything else typically involved in relationships as a secondary priority.

I offer up a reassuring smile and kiss her cheek, which is extremely red right now, "I'd like that a lot."

Max lets out a sigh of relief before returning my smile, "G-good. I just wanted to… check, you know?"

"It's fine, Max," I whisper as I tighten my hold on her, "Don't hesitate to talk to me about things like that. I want us to both be as honest and open as possible with one another."

She nods, "Ok, cool. The same with you too."

I raise an eyebrow as an amused smirk forms on my lips, "Just try to stop me."

After a few moments, Max gently disengages from me and shifts over to the edge of the bed with her feet dangling. She appears to be a bit self-conscious due to her current lack of clothing. I sit up and shuffle over to her, placing a kiss in between her shoulder blades then to her shoulder and neck. Thankfully, this seems to make her relax a bit. Normally I'm extremely awkward when it comes to leaving myself exposed like this. While I do feel vulnerable now, it's not like I feel the need to immediately cover myself up and it appears that Max feels the same way given that she isn't hastily fumbling around for her clothes. This will just take a bit of getting used to before the initial shyness between us fades.

My hands brush over her sides, along her shoulder blades up to her shoulders. She tenses ever so slightly at the contact. When I reach her shoulders, I firmly yet carefully begin to massage them. The initial tenseness begins to dissipate as my fingers diligently run over her muscles. I want Max to feel as comfortable with me as possible and I want to feel the same with her too. She sighs contently as my fingers work up to her neck, my thumbs carefully working out any knots. Once I have finished, I place a kiss to the nape of her neck and lay back down on the bed. Max stands up and gathers her clothes together, getting dressed once more.

"Max, can you throw me those sweat pants and shirt on my desk chair please?" I point over to the chair where I haphazardly threw them last time. I never had the chance or inclination to put them away properly.

"Sure," she takes them off the back of my chair and passes them over to me. I thank her and get changed into them before laying back on the bed again. Max crouches down and begins to diligently flick through my movie collection more thoroughly than before, seeming to be looking for something in particular. I watch her with faint curiosity as her fingertips brush against the plastic cases.

Just as I am about to ask her what she's doing, she lets out an over-exaggerated forlorn sigh, "Damn, I was hoping you had Final Fantasy: Spirits Within in this massive collection. I don't care what anyone says, that is one of the best sci-fi movies out there," she flashes me a cheeky smirk, "and here I was thinking that we were 100% compatible soulmates," she stands up, shaking her head and continuing in a melodramatic tone, "Oh well, guess I can keep looking until I find someone who shares my passion for this under-appreciated classic."

I let out an undignified snort at the ridiculousness of her praise for that film, "You'll be looking for a long time, aka forever. Are you high, Caulfield? If not maybe I am, because no-one in their right mind would ever seriously consider Spirits Within even half decent."

One of Max's eyebrows raises and her tone becomes mildly teasing, "Oh so, you've watched it then?"

"M-maybe," I sigh, turning over to face the wall so as to avoid seeing her victorious smirk at tricking me into admitting my nerdier side.

I feel the bed dip as Max sits on the edge, "You can't hide that nerdy side from me. I've seen that Bluberry figure in your dorm room."

"Shut up," is all I can manage in response. I've been trying to hide this side of me for so long that I get super defensive the minute anyone knows. It's a knee-jerk reaction I am trying to clamp down on around Max.

There is a sudden warm pressure at my back and Max's arm snakes around my waist. I shuffle back into her as she kisses my shoulder, "I think it's cute. Besides, I'm all into the nerdy shit as you know."

I roll my eyes playfully, "You don't have to remind me."

She squeezes me gently, "I will get you fully embracing your nerdiness if it kills me."

"Don't hold your breath," I mutter as she presses her lips on my neck, kissing my pulse.

"I'm telling you, if you hang around with me long enough it'll happen. Nerdiness is contagious after all," she whispers in a husky tone which sends shivers down my spine.

As we lay there, I become ever more aware of the pressing sensation in my bladder, but I ignore it for as long as possible, not wanting to leave Max's arms right now… or ever, instead focusing on her steady breathing. Inevitably I can only fight off the feeling for so long and soon reluctantly carefully untangle myself from Max, "I'm going to head off to the bathroom."

"Ok, I… uh… I'll go make some breakfast since you made dinner last night," she suggests as she slides off the bed.

I lean against the doorframe, "I'm not complaining. What's in the line up?"

"Eggs and bacon," Max replies instantly as if it is the most obvious answer in the world.

"I look forward to it. I'll meet you down there," I leave my room, but not before poking my head around the corner and adding as an afterthought, "Try not to get lost."

She offers up an impish grin, "No promises."

* * *

**Kitchen – 10:42 am**

When I arrive in the kitchen, I see Max hard at work getting our breakfast prepared. She has everything lined up ready, the egg box, bacon packet and bread. When she hears me come in she glances over her shoulder, "I tell you what, I'm glad to see that someone puts their eggs in a sensible place," she observes as she cracks one into a pan, careful to not get any shell in.

"How do you mean?" I ask as I make my way over to the counter.

She places a strip of bacon in which sizzles on contact with the heat, "One time when I went round Chloe's, I spent a good half an hour searching for the damn eggs only to find that they were in a bag next to the door," she shakes her head with a fond smile, "not that anything in that house is where it should be."

"I can imagine with Price around," I note as I put some bread in the toaster ready and start setting the table.

"It's much worse than you think," she adds as she keeps a close eye on the food so as not to burn it, "It's like a constant treasure hunt."

As she cooks, Max begins to hum softly. I vaguely recognize the tune; some indie song she has on her I-pod. Instead of drawing attention to it and no doubt putting her off, I just listen in. She manages to get it mostly in tune, some of the higher notes proving to be a struggle for her. Once satisfied that everything is cooked, she grabs a couple of plates from one of the cupboards and places them on the side. She turns off the heat and grabs a spatula to transfer the food over, "Shit!" she exclaims as the egg lands yolk down on the plate, the yellow liquid oozing from it. She sighs and looks up at me with a sheepish grin, "I guess that one's going to be mine."

"Your clumsiness never ceases to amaze me," I chortle as I prepare some much needed black coffee for both of us.

"You and me both," she mumbles as she carefully assembles the rest of our breakfast, surprisingly without incident. My lips quirk upwards into a fond smile as I notice she has her tongue stuck out slightly as she concentrates. After a few moments, she lets out a triumphant shout which startles me and nearly makes me spill coffee everywhere, "Max Caulfield 1, Breakfast Fails 3. I'm finally catching up."

I shake my head and finish off pouring out the coffee before she has the chance to shock me again. Just as I've finished serving up the coffee, I feel arms wrap around me and lips pressed to my shoulder. She always manages to surprise me like this, showing affection when I least expect it. Before Max came into my life, I was extremely reluctant to participate in any kind of outward emotional expression. It was easier to just clamp down on that because it only served to get me hurt, but with Max it's different. She's so open and just honest with things despite her awkwardness that it's difficult to not get swept up in the flow.

A shudder runs down my spine as her lips brush against my neck, "Your work of art will get cold if we stay here for too long, Max," I whisper, not really wanting to move.

As if on cue, Max's stomach grumbles loudly and she reluctantly lets me go, "Good point."

We make our way over to the table with our cups of coffee in hand and sit next to one another. I am mildly impressed with Max's arrangement and the smell alone is enough to get me salivating. Without hesitation, I begin eating and sigh in contentment as I work my way through it. The next few moments are filled with the clatter of cutlery against plates and the odd shuffling as we adjust ourselves.

Throughout the meal I glance up at Max every so often. She is a surprisingly slow eater. Considering the amount of time she has spent around Chloe I was almost certain that she would pick up on her eating habits too. Thankfully, this isn't the case.

_Something I shall be eternally grateful for._

I hear a soft chuckle which brings me out of my thought. All too late I realize that I have been staring at Max and she has noticed, a smug smile tugging at the corner of her lips, "Caught you."

I feel my cheeks heat up ever so slightly having been caught staring and look back down to my nearly empty plate. It's strange, normally I would leave some of my food. I have always found it difficult to eat around others, so it's become a habit. Now doesn't seem to be an issue though. I steal another glance at Max as she finishes up her meal. She leans back in her chair with a look of serenity, "That hit the spot."

She has come a long way from the shy girl I first met. It just goes to show that it takes time to really uncover someone's true personality, especially with someone like Max. Most may mistake her shyness for indifference, I might have as well if I hadn't tried to get to know her properly. She'd have probably thought I was a stuck up bitch if she didn't know me so intimately, which wouldn't have been a totally inaccurate description a month or so ago.

"You're staring again," she eagerly remarks before taking a sip of her coffee, bringing me out of my trance-like state.

"It's hard not to when my gorgeous girlfriend is beside me," I grin at the mildly bashful expression this comment gets from Max.

She gazes deeply into my eyes for a moment before leaning over and tenderly kissing me, "You seriously have to stop stealing my lines."

"Make me, Caulfield," I boldly challenge.

She leans in just inches from my face and whispers, "Don't tempt me, Chase."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those damn eggs! On a slightly different note, I can't get enough of these uber gay dorks, I'm sure you shall agree. Thanks for reading, have an awesome day guys and I'll see you next time.


	20. Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Max and Victoria spend their remaining time in Seattle?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this has taken so damn long. Things kept getting in the way of writing. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

**Chapter Twenty: Gift**

**Day 54**

**Max's POV – Victoria's House – Kitchen - 11:17 am**

With breakfast out of the way, we gather together the dirty plates and cutlery to wash up. If I was at home, I would've left everything on the table unwashed. I don't want to do that in Victoria's house though. She would probably chew me out if I did.

Victoria passes over one of the plates for me to put away, "So, what do you want to do today?"

_We still have a few hours before we should consider heading on back to Blackwell. That gives us plenty of time to do something… but what?_

"Well, it's been a while since I've explored Seattle. I doubt much has changed, but you never know," I mention as I place the plate back in the cupboard, careful not to drop it. It seems like such a long time since I went into Seattle. I guess it has been in a way.

Victoria looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding, "It has been for me too. We should go check it out. Even having a refresh would be nice."

"Agreed."

After we've finished doing the dishes, we head into the hallway. When we reach the door, I go to open it and immediately recoil as the slight chill hits me. Victoria's brow furrows in confusion and her eyes hold a question, "What on earth are you doing, Max?"

"I'm… uh… kind of sensitive to the cold sometimes," I sheepishly admit as I rub the back of my neck.

Victoria shakes her head with a small smile, "Of course you are."

Without another word she grabs hold of my wrist and begins dragging me back to the stairwell. I try not to trip over my feet as she pulls me along, "Um… what are we doing?"

She glances over her shoulder at me, not giving anything away in her expression, "Just follow me and you'll find out."

Realizing that I'm not going to get a straight answer, I decide to play along. She guides me back up to her room and walks us over to her closet. When she opens it up, I can see that the entire space is filled with clothes and accessories. The inside of the closet could probably double up as another bedroom given its size. There are so many different styles, colors and patterns all in one place. It's almost like being in a store. If I didn't know any better, I might assume that's where we were.

_These are more clothes here than I'll probably ever own in my entire life three times over. Not probably, definitely. I expected Victoria to have a ton of clothes, but this is impressive._

I watch on in awe as she crouches down and partially disappears inside. After a few moments, she comes back out with a large plastic box, "These are my winter accessories, so just pick out what you want."

This offer surprises me a bit, "Really?"

She makes her way over to the bed and places the box on it, "Yes, really. I don't want you catching a cold again."

"Last time was kind of your fault," I teasingly point out.

Victoria approaches me and very lightly taps me on the nose, "That's why I want to make sure you stay healthy."

I offer her a cheeky grin, "But I liked being looked after."

"I bet you did," she chuckles as she takes the lid off the box, revealing all kinds of colored and patterned fabrics.

I don't even know where to start really. Deciding to dive head first, I take out a few of the scarves and give them a once over. A lot of them feel weird against my skin, so they're immediately out. Victoria lets out a soft chuckle at my pickiness as I dig through the mountain of material. Just when I'm about to lose hope, I notice a red-checked fluffy scarf tucked away at the bottom.

_That one looks comfy._

When I pull it out to examine it closer, I notice Victoria's expression soften and the ghost of a fond smile tug at her lips. She seems to be lost in a distant memory, a happy one I hope. I almost don't want to break her out of this trance-like state, but I'm curious to know what's going on in her head.

I gently place a hand on her shoulder, "What's up?"

This snaps her out of her thoughts, "Oh, nothing really. It's just…" she pauses for a moment as her eyes fall on the scarf again, "Nathan got me that scarf, oh it must be a good few years ago now. I used to get ill a lot more, so this was an attempt to help with that," she turns to face me with a gentle smile, "Funny that you would pick that one out of all of them. You must have some kind of inbuilt sentimental hipster radar."

"I can put it back if you want," I mention as I go to place it back in the box.

Victoria catches my wrist to stop me, "Don't be silly, Max. Wear it. It seems quite fitting actually."

When I hesitate, she shakes her head with a smile and takes the scarf from me. Before I have the chance to ask her what she's doing, she begins wrapping the scarf around my neck. Her fingers brush against my skin as she works. She manages to get the lengths to match up perfectly on each side, unlike when I try. It's loose enough to not feel like I'm getting strangulated, but tight enough to keep the heat in.

"How's that?" she asks as she gives me a once over.

I glance down at the scarf now snugly wrapped around my neck, "Perfect."

Her head tilts to the side a fraction as she reaches out and straightens out the fabric where its crumpled up, "Good. Let's get a move on then."

Once satisfied, she grabs a jacket from the back of a chair and passes my hoodie over too. When we've zipped and buttoned up, she holds out her hand for me to take. With that, we head on downstairs and after shoving on our shoes, we exit the house. We make our way down to the closest bus stop hand in hand and wait around. A few minutes later a bus rolls up and we get on it, slipping into a couple of seats halfway down the aisle.

Normally I would stick my headphones in to block out the rest of the world, but with Victoria here I don't feel the need to do that. Her hand is still intertwined with mine as the bus pulls away. The journey is thankfully pretty quiet, with no screaming kids or anything as is often customary with public travel. As per usual, I take the seat nearest the window so I can stare out. Buildings and other vehicles rush past us as we get closer. Soon enough, the bus comes to a halt and we get off.

Seattle, with its bustling city streets and towering skyscrapers that make up the cityscape, the Space Needle standing just above it all, couldn't be more different from Arcadia Bay. I myself prefer the slow-paced, nature infused sleepy town life of Arcadia. While the city has its beauty, especially when the night rolls in, it can't beat watching the sunset from Arcadia's clifftops with the lighthouse standing proud in the background. The water's surface shimmering as the slowly retreating sunlight hits it for the last time that day. There's something almost ethereal about it.

_Look at the beat poet. Having Mr. Jefferson for a teacher sure helps inspire these borderline pretentious thoughts._

When I glance over to Victoria, I see she is in as deep thought as I am, maybe even more. Like me, she's always taking pictures with her eyes. Having a camera just makes it possible to look through another's eyes, to create a physical manifestation of their perspective for other's to experience. It's not always necessary to capture a personal moment such as these. We stand there for a few moments, just enjoying the atmosphere.

_It's easy to get so caught up in life that we forget to take a step back and just look around._

"So, anywhere in particular you want to go?" Victoria finally asks as she turns her head to face me.

I hadn't given it much thought really. Planning is not my strong point after all. I shake my head in response to her question, "Not really. I usually just wander around until I find somewhere I like the look of."

A smile quirks at her lips on hearing my answer, "Why does that not surprise me? I bet you get lost."

"Sometimes."

"It's a good thing I'm here then," she chuckles as she begins to move away from the bus stop.

I follow close behind her, holding tight onto her hand so we don't get separated. With Christmas rapidly approaching, I really need to get my ass in gear and find presents for everyone. It's over a month away still, but for once I just want to be organized. Procrastination won't get the better of me this time. I probably won't get a better chance to find the things I need. Arcadia isn't exactly the best place to buy things, unless you want weed as Chloe and Rachel prove. I have a few ideas in mind, so I just need to actually get things together.

Of course, Victoria wants to check out some of the clothing stores around. I had expected as much. Normally I might end up grumbling all the way round, especially when my mom drags me around. Now though, I don't mind too much really. Spending time with Victoria is all worth it.

Victoria must have sensed my initial reluctance to traipse around clothing stores, because she stops just outside an expensive looking store and turns to me, "You can go somewhere else if you want. I know fashion isn't something you are really interested in."

Again, I might have taken her up on that offer if it was anyone else. The whole point of this trip was to spend some time alone together. Splitting up seems counter-productive with that intention in mind. I shake my head, "There's not much point in coming if we split up. Not that I don't appreciate the out."

She gives me a long searching stare before accepting my answer, "Ok then. Don't go complaining halfway round then."

"I wouldn't dare."

We enter inside the huge store and Victoria immediately makes a beeline for the leftmost side. I am dragged along as she examines the rails with an expert eye, on occasion picking something up to examine more thoroughly. It's actually pretty entertaining to watch her so focused and consumed by interest. I don't protest even once as we make our way round, which is a miracle in itself. On the way round, I do have a quick peak at the prices in here. I almost faint when I see how much one basic shirt costs. Needless to say, I quickly step away from it so I don't ruin it. By the end, Victoria has picked out a bunch of clothes to try on. I haven't really been paying attention to what she picked out though.

She pulls me over to the changing rooms and I expect her to let go when we get so far to wait. Instead, she leads me in with her. I very rarely use fitting rooms. Usually, I just grab something off the rail and put it up against me to check. Often this results in things not quite fitting right, mostly being too big. The difference in sizes among stores irritates me to no end. I just want to know what size I need and grab it, not spend ages trying to work it all out by individual brand.

_Not that I ever wear branded stuff._

As if she can sense my confusion, Victoria glances over to me and half-jokingly comments, "Since Taylor and Courtney aren't here, I need someone to tell me how amazing I look in all these clothes."

A smile tugs at my lips at this situation. To think that I would be offering my very limited fashion expertise to someone like Victoria is comical, "I can do that. Just don't ask for an in-depth analysis or anything."

Victoria laughs at this, "I would actually like to see you try."

I hang back as she steps into one of the fitting stall. Once inside, she looks back at me expectantly. I pick up on the not-so-subtle hint that she wants me to go in with her. After a moment of hesitation, I follow in after her and shut the door behind me. When Taylor and Courtney are shopping with Victoria, they probably wait outside until she's done to shower her with praise. I on the other hand have been given VIP access into the stall itself. I can't help but smile at that.

She immediately gets to work on preparing all her potential possibilities. Once she has lined everything up, she begins to get undressed. I suppose I shouldn't feel nervous or anything about this. It's not a huge step seeing Victoria like this, if anything it's a step down, but I still find myself wondering where to look while she gets changed. Just because we're going out doesn't mean I should be ogling her at every possible chance. Maybe it's also because it's a public setting. It does kind of feel like there are people watching… and judging. I vote to look down at my feet instead.

My head lifts as I feel Victoria's hand brush lightly against mine. She offers up an amused smirk at my sudden bashfulness, "Max, you don't need to act so shy. You can look guilt free if you want."

"I…" my words get lost when her lips lightly brush against mine.

Her eyes glisten slightly as she pulls away, her hand lingering on mine for a few seconds before taking a step back, "You are too much sometimes," before I have the chance to say anything, she playfully twirls for me in her new outfit, "So, what do you think?"

My eyes roam over her outfit, a pair of high-waisted black pants with a red button up collared shirt tucked in, the sleeves rolled up neatly, and to finish it off some black lace-up ankle boots. It's something you would probably never catch me in, but on Victoria it looks great.

_Then again, she'd look great in anything. Although, I can't see really her in Chloe's punk rocker style… voluntarily at least._

Not wanting to keep her waiting too long for an answer, I take her by the hand and give her a good look over, "It looks amazing. Not that I would have expected anything less."

One of Victoria's eyebrows quirks up in amusement, "Well, aren't you full of cheesy remarks? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

I flash her a cheeky grin, "I do my best."

She tries on a few other things, including a couple of thicker jumpers ready from when it gets really cold. Soon enough, she has separated the clothes into two piles. It's then I notice one outfit she hasn't tried on or put into a pile yet. It consists of a white short sleeved shirt with thin horizontal black stripes, white pants with the cuffs folded up and a purple cardigan.

My curiosity gets the better of me and I point over to it, "Aren't you going to try that one on too?"

A plotting smile tugs at Victoria's lips that worries me a little, "I'm not, no."

It takes me a few seconds to realize what she is trying to tell me beyond those words. When I finally get it, my eyes widen and eyebrow shoot up in surprise, "Wait… you want _me_ to try it on?"

Victoria nods at the deduction. My hesitation must have shown on my face, because she smiles coaxingly at me, "Come on, Max. Just humor me for a bit."

Unable to resist the puppy dog look, knowledge Chloe has abused for years, I sigh deeply, "Fine, if it'll make you happy."

"It will," she asserts.

Reluctantly, I hold out my hand to accept the clothes from Victoria. She leans against the side wall beside a full length mirror, glancing over at me every so often as I get changed, maybe to check I haven't simply run away. The clothes Victoria has picked out actually fit better than anything I could have ever chosen. I take a deep breath and give myself a once over in the mirror. It's different from what I would normally choose aka my trusty hoodie, basic shirts and hipster brand jeans.

_I suppose it's not too adventurous. Victoria probably took that into account when choosing this. I can't help but feel a bit like a life-sized dress up doll though._

"So…?" she prompts me for an answer.

"Max Caulfield, Vortex Club edition," I cheekily remark.

Victoria rolls her eyes playfully at me as she nudges my shoulder, "Enough with the sass, Caulfield. Get twirling for me."

Her mildly demanding tone causes a lop-sided grin to form on my face, "Only because you asked so nicely."

Knowing this will probably end terribly thanks to my clumsiness, I begin to twirl around. Sure enough, I feel myself slowly losing my balance. Thankfully, Victoria anticipates this and manages to stop me from falling flat on my ass. Once finally steady again I offer up an appreciative grin, "I'm glad your reflexes are good."

"So am I," her voice becomes very husky all of a sudden, sending shivers down my spine.

We are now really close and my heart rate picks up as Victoria's eyes meet mine with a longing gaze. She leans into me and kisses me briefly, then follows up with a longer one. Before I can really process what is happening, she has backed me up against a wall and deepens the kiss. I wrap my arms around her, drawing her closer. Even though there are others around us, I can't help but get caught up in the moment. The exhilaration of potentially getting caught like this is something I have rarely experienced. Whenever I gave into Chloe's "bright" ideas, there was a similar kind of rush too.

_While I'm not normally a thrill seeker, I have to admit this is adrenaline inducing and… I kind of like it. Sure, it's not as hardcore as Chloe might do, but for me this is pretty daring._

Victoria pulls away slightly, her hand finds my face and her thumb lightly brushes over my cheek, "You know, it's tempting to do a few… other things in here with you."

"I… uh… l-like what?" I inarticulately stutter, feeling my cheeks heat up at her insinuation.

She idly twirls a strand of my hair around her index finger, "Wouldn't you like to know?" all I can do is laugh nervously in response to this. She can only keep a straight face for so long before a smug grin forms, "You are just too easy to tease sometimes, Max."

Chloe has said something similar to me several times in the past. I take things way too seriously on a regular basis. Part of me is disappointed when she takes a step back to let me off the wall. Maybe I kind of wanted what Victoria was insinuating to happen. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone. I have a good idea what she plans to do next.

"Turn this way and relax," she gently demands while motioning for me to move a little to the right.

Following her instruction, I turn slightly on the spot. I'm totally not used to being in front of the camera. My comfort zone is behind it, but sometimes you have to push those boundaries and try new things. Before I can change my mind, Victoria takes the shot and regards it with an approving look. She hands her phone over to me so I can see it too. Despite my initial reservations, on the picture I don't look too bad.

After examining it carefully, I hand her phone back over, "Not bad, Chase. I'm going to say that's mostly your mad photo and fashion skills since I'm not much of a model. I bet Rachel would look ten times better."

"Give yourself some credit, Max," Victoria comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my waist, leaning in close to my ear, "You look great. Stop second guessing yourself."

I sigh lightly as she kisses my neck before stepping back and gathering the clothes she wants to keep. After composing myself, I take the other pile and hand them over to the assistant just by the fitting room exit. We head on up to the counter and Victoria pays for her clothes. I take a couple of the bags to help her before we head on back out of the store.

Victoria shifts the bags in her hands, "Well, I think that is enough clothes shopping for now."

"I guess we'll just wander around then until we find somewhere we want to look," I suggest.

Just up ahead we find a second hand book store. As we enter inside, that familiar book smell hit me. Call me a retro hipster if you want, but nothing quite beats that. As we walk around, I notice a basically new copy of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 hidden between the shelves. Remembering that Kate was reading the October Country and enjoying it, I decide to get it for her as part of her Christmas present. Next we head into a retro looking music store a bit further down the street. I flick through the old records, feeling right in my element.

_How much of a hipster can you be until you get a record player, Max? Shame on you._

"You are really at home now surrounded by all this music, huh?" Victoria chuckles lightly as she watches me paw through the vinyl records.

"Damn right I am," I admit unashamedly as I turn my attention to the CDs held on shelves.

They also sell blank CDs here, which is perfect for what I have planned for Chloe. In honor of our old pirate mixtape, I'm going to make her another one. This time including a mixture of songs that remind me of us. I already have a few ideas lined up for a playlist. She's as much of a sentimental sap as I am, even if she won't admit it, so I know she'll hella appreciate it.

_That's one part of her gift sorted anyway._

After spending a vast amount of time digging around in the store and paying for the CDs, we exit back out to the main street. Just then, my stomach grumbles loudly. Victoria laughs at the sound and checks her phone, "Maybe we should head on back soon. If you're ready anyway."

"I think so. I'm actually getting pretty tired now," I admit with a yawn, "I might need a nap before we head on back to Arcadia."

On the way back to the bus stop, I notice a shop I don't recognize down a side street just to our left. Curious to check it out, I make a beeline for it leaving Victoria trailing behind me a little way. On closer inspection, it turns out to be an arts and crafts type store.

"Stop drooling over the window, Max and get inside that store," Victoria insists as she catches up with me.

"I wasn't drooling… much," I weakly protest.

Victoria offers me a skeptical look as we enter inside the small store. It's packed floor to ceiling with various art supplies like sketchbooks, drawing pencils, paints and assorted decorative embellishments. This is the kind of place I could get easily lost in. My eyes fall on a cute handmade rabbit doll. I pick it up, allowing it to rest on my palm. It's about four inches tall with soft fuzzy fur, one slightly bent over ear, a black patch over one of its eyes and felt bucked teeth. I can't help but think of Kate when I look at it. After wandering around for a little while longer, I come across a small dream catcher with several blue feathers hanging down and blue beads dotted along the strings. If I remember correctly, Rachel is into that kind of spiritual thing and the feathers remind me of that earring she always wears.

_So, that's something for Chloe, Rachel and Kate. Now I just need to sort out things for Victoria…_

I know exactly what I need for the gift, well gifts, I have in mind for Victoria. Here would probably be the best place to find what I'm looking for. Soon enough after searching for a while I find the section I'm looking for. There are several different notebooks, each with a uniquely patterned cover. I flick through to see if there is an appropriate one. One particular notebook catches my eye. The cover design is very retro with motifs like cassette tapes and old skool cameras. It looks big enough for what I have planned and the pages should be the right thickness too.

_I wonder…_

"What have you got there?" a voice from behind me asks. I turn to see Victoria standing behind me with a curious expression on her face.

"I need a new notebook for class. Mine's nearly used up," I reply after some thought. This is a little white lie, but I don't want to tell Victoria what I'm really going to do with it. It'd spoil the surprise for her.

This seems to amuse Victoria, "Very hipster of you."

I pay for the notebook, rabbit doll and dream catcher, along with a few other bits and pieces that seem useful, like different colored threads and some beads, before we continue on to the bus stop. There are still a few things I need to get in place for presents, but that is the majority of the item I need. As we walk, I glance down at the items in the paper bag clutched tightly in my hand.

_Now all that's left to do is put them together. I just hope Victoria will like what I have planned…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whatever could Max have planned? Have an awesome day guys and see you next time.


	21. Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you are all doing well today. Here's the next chapter for you, so enjoy. There will be some NSFW stuff in this one as a heads up.

**Chapter Twenty-One: Friends**

**Day 55**

**Victoria's POV – Taylor's Room – 4:37 pm**

After a long day of classes, I flop down on my bed and sigh deeply. All the traveling Max and I did over the past few days has taken its toll as well, making me feel exhausted. It was well worth it though. A smile tugs at my lips as I recall the past weekend. Everything about it was just perfect. I've never felt so happy and giddy as I do remembering my time with Max.

A knock cuts through my fantasizing, catching my attention. I hoick myself off the bed to investigate. The moment I open the door, I am almost knocked off my feet. Once the disorientation wears off, I realize what has just happened. Taylor and Courtney have barged their way into my room, making themselves comfortable. When they see me looking, they grin and offer up a small wave.

"Hey Victoria." Taylor beams, sounding like she is plotting something.

"What the hell was that all about?" I ask as I close the door and straighten myself out.

"We didn't want you slamming the door in our face." Courtney states matter-of-factly.

Taylor narrows her eyes suspiciously at me. "We have questions that desperately need answers."

I had a feeling I would get interrogated when I got back, especially by Taylor. Spending the weekend alone with Max would be enough to make both of them curious, only increased by that phone call from Taylor that… interrupted Max and I.

Figuring that there is nowhere left to run and no way to wriggle out of this conversation, I let out a resigned sign and join them over on my bed. "Fine. Make it quick."

Taylor nudges my arm with her elbow. "Come on girl. Give us the juicy deets about this weekend."

"Or we'll force them out of you somehow." Courtney threatened mildly, only half joking.

"Ok fine. Max and I… hooked up," I blush lightly at the memories this confession brings. "If you tell anyone that, I will destroy you though."

"About damn time." Taylor cheers with glee, grabbing onto my arm and shaking it.

Courtney beams at me with a toothy grin. "Congrats girl!"

"Well, it was probably the best place for it to happen." I point out. Considering how much everyone can hear from other people's door rooms, maybe it was a good thing that Max needed some time. Not that I really care too much if other people hear, but for Max that would be something very mortifying.

"Preach it, sista," Taylor grinned before glancing over to Courtney. "Now we've just got to get Courtney sorted out."

"Shut up, Taylor." Courtney roared, initiating a full on pillow fight. Soon enough, the three off us are locked in a duel to the death, with it slowly leading to us all collapsing on my bed, panting lightly from the sudden excursion. As I lay there, trying to catch my breath, I can only feel thankful for having friends like Taylor and Courtney.

* * *

**Max's POV – Max's Room – 4:31 pm**

My eyes close for a moment as I lay there on my bed, just relaxing. As per usual, my iPod is surgically attached to my ears. The past few days have been hectic, but in a good way. I'm just not used to rushing around or traveling too much, so when I do it takes a lot out of me. It was totally worth it though. No regrets. When I feel something tap my shoulder and the bed dip down at the end, I jump and open my eyes abruptly. Rachel and Chloe have invaded my room, grinning at my startled react.

I pull out my headphones and take a deep breath to calm my violently beating heart. "Holy shit. You guys scared me."

Chloe pulls up my desk chair, turning it backwards and straddling it, resting her chin at the top of the back part. "That was the plan."

"You're just too cute sometimes," Rachel chuckles from the end of the bed. She brushes her long hair over her shoulder, a mischievous glint in her hazel eyes. "So… how was your rendezvous with Victoria this weekend?"

"Yeah, spill it Caulfield." Chloe presses, not taking no for an answer.

"I had a feeling I would get grilled." I mumble as I sit up to get a better look at them.

"Oh come on. Spending the weekend alone at Victoria's house, such close proximities and privacy will breed certain… behavior." Rachel winks at me with a suggestive smirk.

"Maybe something happened. Maybe not." I reply, keeping my answer as vague as possible. If I confirm anything, then I shall become the target of major taunting.

_Not that I'm not already I guess. It'll just give Chloe and Rachel more ammo against me. I struggle keeping up with them as it is. I totally don't need another disadvantage._

"That's hardly an answer," Chloe whined at my reluctance to supply her with information. "I'm going to keep pestering you until we get somewhere. You should know that better than anyone."

_I don't doubt that Chloe would. She has done in the past. On several occasions. Rachel would join in no doubt. Is my pride worth more than my sanity? What's left of it anyway…_

"Something _did_ happen, right? I can see it in your eyes," when I hesitate, a smug smirk dances across Rachel's features. "I knew it. You can't hide shit from me." All I can manage is a weak nod, embarrassed about the whole situation. There is no point hiding it. Her grin widens as she turns to Chloe. "Pay up, Price."

Chloe grumbles as she fumbles around in her pocket and pulls out some money, shoving it indignantly in Rachel's open hand.

"Wait… you guys made bets?" I ask incredulously.

Rachel nods enthusiastically, pocketing her winnings. "Damn right we did."

"Now I wish I hadn't." Chloe mutters under her breath, most of her words getting lost.

I roll my eyes playfully at them, feeling a light blush creep onto my cheeks. "Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. I don't even want to know."

_It's probably safer to keep myself in the dark over their dealings. God knows what those two have been making bets on._

"So, was she any good?" Rachel asks shamelessly, appearing to be genuinely curious as opposed to simply teasing. Although the two usually merge together in the end.

"Rachel…" I sigh, shaking my head at the extremely personal question.

She shrugs at my mild disapproval. "Can't a girl be curious?"

"I don't know if curious is the right word here. Invasive maybe." Chloe scoffs, not appearing to be surprised in the slightest by her behavior here. She's had years to get used to Rachel's borderline pushy personality.

_I, on the other hand, haven't. Although spending time around Chloe should have been good practice._

Rachel's eyes narrow skeptically at her. "Like you don't want to know."

All Chloe does is shrug at this, neither confirming nor denying Rachel's accusations. It's not like I blame them for wanting to know. If it was me, I'd be so damn curious, but too embarrassed to even ask.

"I have a feeling that you're only going to keep harassing me until I tell you something at least."

"Damn right!" Rachel asserts with a grin.

I rub at the back of my neck awkwardly, gathering my thoughts. I'm not prepared to go into the amount of detail Rachel would probably want to know, but I can give her something to get her off my back. "I… I'm glad it happened that way. It felt natural, not forced or anything. Part of me was pretty nervous about it all, but I didn't need to be."

I never thought I could feel anything like that before, especially with someone like Victoria. On the surface, we both seem like polar opposites. Deep down, we're not all that different really. Still, it's weird to think that I'm going out with her and taking things further.

_I'm definitely punching above my weight with Victoria. Not that I'm going to complain._

Chloe's expression softens as she listens to me. "Well, that's a relief. I thought I might need to go beat Victoria up for fucking around with you and leaving you broken-hearted or hurting you or something."

"Because you would love to play the white knight for our dear Max," Rachel lightly teases, with Chloe casually flipping her off in response. "I must admit, I was hoping for specific details, but I guess this will have to do me for now."

"Victoria would probably kill all of us if I ever told you anything specific." I mention worriedly, knowing that she would be really pissed off. Luckily for her, I have no intention of divulging my personal life to that extent. Even for Chloe.

"True," Rachel agrees, still sounding disappointed. "But it would be worth it just to tease her."

"I agree." Chloe chuckles, obviously imagining the whole thing and finding it amusing.

"Well, that's not going to happen any time soon," I state confidently. "I quite like being alive thanks."

"Victoria wouldn't kill you. She's too caught up in that Caulfield charm of yours," Chloe chimes in. "Sure, she might be pissed initially, but she'd probably forgive you. I know I would."

Even though I had my apprehensions about this, I'm glad Chloe and Rachel hunted me down. Being able to talk to them about this, however vaguely, is a nice option to have. They may tease me about things, but when push comes to shove I know I can count on them.

* * *

**Day 60**

**Max's POV - Two Whales Diner – 10:26 am**

I rub at my eyes tiredly, yawning as I enter the Two Whales locker room. Last night I didn't get much sleep, like always. My mind is forever preoccupied. Shaking off the tiredness, I begin to change into my uniform. Halfway through, I hear someone entering the room behind me. I turn to see Dana there, beaming at me as she sets up beside me.

"Hey Max!" She cheerfully greets me as she places her bag down.

"How the hell are you so cheery now? I am barely awake." I ask incredulously, falling prey to yet another yawn.

An evil glint flashes in Dana's eyes then. "Was Victoria keeping you awake all night?"

"What…? No… I… you…" I stutter inarticulately, feeling my cheeks heat up.

She grins at my embarrassment. "Speaking of… how was your weekend at hers?"

Dana very kindly swapped a shift with me so I could go to Seattle with Victoria. It was kind of last minute, but she didn't mind. If anything, she was excited by the prospect. I had a feeling telling her would backfire at some point.

I shove my clothes and bag into the locker, closing it tight. "It was really awesome actually. Not that I had expected anything less."

"I bet it was," her grin widens as she straightens out her uniform. "How did you spend your time?"

"We mostly just stayed at her house and also visited the city centre too. Her parents were out so we had the place to ourselves." A smile tugs at my lips as I recall the time we spent alone.

"I'm sure you found something… interesting to keep yourselves entertained." Dana replies in a suggestive tone, a smug smirk on her lips.

If I thought my cheeks were warm before, I was wrong. That was nothing compared to now. "Jeez, people in Arcadia are relentless."

My reluctance doesn't seem to deter her from finding out the truth. "Just tell me if something happened or not. Then I'll quit bugging you."

"I highly doubt that."

"I promise, Max. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I'm just curious." Dana reassures me, an innocent smile plastered to her face.

Realizing that she won't give this up, just like everyone else, I resign myself. "Fine, something might have happened."

Dana grins gleefully at my vague confession. "I suspected as much. Victoria has been practically glowing ever since you guys came back. So have you. Blackwell isn't really the place to be messing around too much. Thin walls and all. I'm happy for you guys."

"Thanks, I guess."

We head on out to the main part of the pizzeria, ready to start our shift. All I can think about during my shift is returning back to Blackwell and seeing Victoria again.

* * *

**Day 69**

**Max's POV – Max's Room – 6:03 pm**

With the Christmas break rapidly approaching, under a month away now, Mr. Jefferson especially has been on our asses to get work done. For once, I want to keep on top of it instead of rushing around at the last minute in a blind panic. That and I want to actually spend some time with Victoria before the break where we don't have to worry about work. We can probably see each other over the holidays sometime since we live in the same city, but you never can be too certain. Besides, getting to see each other as much as possible is always a good thing.

This newfound determination has helped me power through. It's surprising how much I can get done when I put my mind to it. A lot of it is just putting things together and expanding on them, aka the hardest bit. Victoria and I made a mutual pact that for part of this week, that we would focus on our studies. We've seen each other a couple of times, but tried not to get too caught up in one another. Not as easy as it sounds. With perseverance, we've somehow managed it. There were a few pieces we could do together so we did and surprisingly didn't get too far off track either. We were both impressed.

I hear my phone go off then, dragging me away from the small mountain of work left to do.

**Victoria: Want to take a break before working?**

**Max: Sure**

**Victoria: Be there in a minute**

My heart skips a beat in anticipation of seeing her. Soon enough, my door opens and Victoria strides inside. When she sees me she smiles, walking over to my bed and sitting down. Eager to join her, I stand up and sit beside her. Once settled, she leans in and gently presses her lips against mine. I hum with approval, kissing her back. This is what our breaks usually consist of. A quick make-out session and then a chat. While we've both been a bit more open with our affections in public, we still prefer doing these kinds of things behind closed doors. It's more of a safe space. Her hand finds mine, squeezing lightly before interlocking our fingers.

After a few minutes, I pull back taking a moment to gaze deeply into her eyes. This is not how I expected my time at Blackwell to go, but this is a pleasant plot twist to life. It makes a nice change to have something good happen like this. I always seem to have the bad luck. Maybe it's Karma or something, saving up all the good stuff for now. That's totally fine by me. These moments are worth any shit I had to go through before.

Victoria reaches out and tucks a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. "I don't know about with you, but Taylor and Courtney have been very intrigued about us recently, especially about our Seattle trip. Not only them either."

"I've been getting the third-degree too." I admit. Even Kate has been slightly curious about everything. Obviously asking with more tact than Chloe ever could. It's provided some interesting tea date discussions.

"One thing people love to do around here is gossip." Victoria notes.

"Especially our friends, right?" I observe, an amused smile quirking at my lips.

Victoria nods in agreement. "It seems that way."

"They mean well at least."

She laughs at this. "I wonder sometimes."

"It's probably equal parts caring and nosy." I propose, knowing that is probably the case for both mine and Victoria's friends.

"You're probably right there," Victoria agrees while gazing deeply into my eyes. "Not that it matters to me particularly."

I offer her a dorky grin. "Me neither."

"If you keep making cute faces like that, I'll never be able to stop kissing you, Max." She whispers huskily, placing a kiss to my cheek.

"Maybe I don't want you to stop." I state, feeling particularly confident today.

"Is that so? I guess I have no choice but to comply then." Victoria smirks as she leans in and presses her lips to mine again, both of us just enjoying each other's company.

* * *

**Day 72**

**Max's POV – Dorm Corridor - 4:23 pm**

My feet shuffle across the hallway carpet as they carry me over to my room. I briefly glance over to Victoria's room, my brow furrowing before I enter inside. After letting my bag slide off my shoulder onto the couch, I lay back on my bed, sighing forlornly as my mind whirs.

_Well done, Max. You really fucked up this time._

Victoria and I had a fight earlier over something really stupid. To be honest, I can't even remember what it was about or how it started. This is the first major fight we've had and it left me feeling very sorry for myself. In situations like these, I normally ignore the problem, until someone else forces me to confront it. If I do that, I could mess up everything. Determined to fix this quickly before I can chicken out, I grab my phone and shoot off a quick text to Chloe.

**Max: Chloe, I need your help**

**Chloe: Anything for Super Max. What's up?**

**Max: I managed to piss Victoria off and need to get something to smooth things over. Think you can drive me somewhere?**

**Chloe: For you, anything. But you owe me**

**Max: That sounds oddly like blackmail**

**Chloe: You know it. Be over in a minute**

Almost the second I read the text, I hear a door in the hallway open up, probably Chloe coming out of Rachel's room. Sure enough, there is an impatient knock at my door a few seconds later. I shuffle off my bed, grabbing my hoodie as I go, and open the door.

Chloe stands there outside, offering up a reassuring smile when she sees me. "What are we waiting for?"

The two of us make our way down the stairs out of the Prescott dorm building and over to the parking lot. As we walk along the path snaking between the grass, Chloe shoves her hands in her pockets and turns to me. "Hey, why don't I get this kind of treatment when you've pissed me off?"

Despite the situation, I find myself grinning. "Because you would abuse it."

"Perish the thought."

"You already make me feel guilty enough when we fall out." I point out, kicking a loose stone on the path.

"A present or two now and then wouldn't hurt." She prompted with a hopeful expression.

I chuckle softly at her insistence, thankful for the distraction. "I'll keep that in mind."

We round the corner and stride over to Chloe's truck, which as per usual is parked in the handicap spot. It's almost like she thinks she owns that spot or something. Not wanting to get into another argument, I let it slide. We pile in and Chloe starts the engine up, driving out onto the road. I watch the scenery pass me by as the truck speeds down the road, hoping that Victoria and I can work this all out somehow.

After a moment, Chloe glances over to me, concern crossing her features. "So, what did you have a fight about?"

I slump back in the seat with a frown. "Honestly, I don't remember how it started. I just know that within ten minutes or so, things had escalated and I felt terrible."

Chloe fixed her gaze ahead, focusing on the road as she spoke. "Don't worry about it too much, Max. Fights are inevitable. Rach and I, if we're not fucking around, we're fighting. That's the real test of a relationship. You've got to take the downs with the ups. You can't get on all the time."

Even though I know this, it doesn't really make me feel better now. "Yeah, I just don't like arguing."

"I don't think many people do." Chloe mentioned wistfully as she pulled into the parking lot of the nearest store.

We entered inside and, after much deliberation and many impatient sighs from Chloe later, I picked out some delicate, warm-colored flowers to help smooth over the awkwardness of an apology. Words have never been my strong point, so hopefully something like this will speak for me to a degree. I clutch them tightly in my hands as we made our way back to Blackwell.

"Go get her, Max. If she's still all butt hurt over it, Rachel and I can sort her out." Chloe suggests as we reach the top of the stairs and head on into the girls' dorm corridor.

_More likely piss her off more._

"Thanks, but I feel like you two would only make it worse."

An expression of mock hurt crosses her features then. "Ouch. Is that any way to treat your best friend?"

I roll my eyes playfully at her, giving her shoulder a light nudge. "Oh come on. You damn well know I'm right."

"Maybe," she chuckles before her expression turns more earnest. "Seriously though, you'll be fine. You're Max fucking Caulfield after all. The hipster nerd with a heart of gold. You'll win her over again."

My smile widens at her attempts to boost me up. "With that kind of endorsement, how can I possible feel nervous?"

"Exactly! Keep me up to date." With that, she heads on back inside Rachel's room.

Now alone with my thoughts, I take a deep breath and begin what feels like a death march. It would be so easy to run away instead of facing the issue head on, but I've run away enough. Knowing what my choice to ignore the problem had done in the past with Chloe, I don't want history to repeat itself. Not anymore.

My heart beats aggressively in my chest as I approach Victoria's room. When I reach her door, I stop in front of it. After adjusting myself and hiding the flowers behind my back, I tentatively knock. A moment passes before I hear movement, the longest moment of my life. The door opens, finally putting me out of my misery, revealing Victoria stood there. My brow furrows slightly and I shuffle my feet awkwardly as her eyes settle on me. I can't tell what she's thinking right now.

"Victoria, I…" already finding myself lost for words, I pull the flowers from behind my back with a sheepish grin and hold them out towards her. "I'm really sorry."

She regards them with curiosity, taking them from me before placing them back inside her room. Then she turns back to me, her expression stoic. Her eyes bore into me, making my heart ache and race simultaneously. I think I see a flicker of forgiveness and guilt in them, but it could be a trick of the light. There is an awkward pause, one that makes me squirm. Without warning, she grabs hold of my wrist and pulls me down the corridor. Dazed, I allow her to drag me off towards the bathroom.

_What the hell is going on?_

As if she can sense that I am about to say something, she shakes her head. "Don't say a word."

Realizing that now was not the time to push my luck, I close my mouth as she guides me into one of the stalls. Confusion grips me then, curious to know what she has planned. Before my brain can catch up, she is pressing me up against the wall and kissing me fiercely. Once the initial shock has worn off, I find myself kissing her back just as passionately. My body tingles as her tongue slides into my mouth and one of her hands begins wandering under my shirt along my skin. Then it hits me where we are. Someone could walk in at any moment and catch us. For some reason, that excites me just as much as it terrifies me. Something tells me that Victoria won't listen to reason now, so there is no point denying her. Not that I want to.

My body surrenders to her touch, small pulses of electricity coursing through me. She is still gentle, but there is an added layer of urgency and passion. One that drives me wild. She isn't giving me the opportunity to do things to her. That is likely her intention. Breaking the kiss, her hand cups my breast and she begins to fondle it underneath my top. A soft gasp escapes my lips as she pushes her knee between my legs, applying pressure. Heat radiates there and a pathetic sounding whimper erupts from my throat. Embarrassed at the sound, I cover my mouth and feel the blush creep onto my cheeks.

When I dare to look at her again, she only smiles and places a kiss to my forehead. "You do make the cutest of sounds Max. I want to hear more."

She sinks to her knees, looking up at me with eyes I can't resist. I would be lying if I said I didn't want this, even if the setting is not what I was expecting. Given, the positioning is a little awkward, but that doesn't seem to deter her in the slightest. Once she has decided on something, there is nothing that can get in her way. I am vaguely aware of her pulling down my zipper and popping the button of my jeans. With that obstacle now removed, she places kisses along my thigh until she reaches my underwear. Not messing around today, she lowers them too and presses her mouth in between my legs.

My breath hitches as her tongue circles around before pushing deeper. I bite the inside of my lip, not sure where to put my hands. They eventually find themselves tangled in her hair, which earns me a positive response as she picks up her pace and varies her movements. I suppress the urge to push her closer, not wanting to hurt her. That is the very last thing I want. Although I find my hips moving forward slightly, despite my best efforts. All worries about being walked in on vanish as Victoria works diligently, reacting to any feedback she receives. My eyes close, allowing the waves of pleasure to wash over me.

Just when it feels like I am about to explode, a shudder passes through my body, one I have experienced before today. My toes curl and I moan loudly into my hand as the unbearable pressure that had been building up inside suddenly releases. Victoria notices this and slows her pace, easing herself out. She cleans herself up and me too, since I am not in the right frame of mind to even think straight, zipping me back up before gently guiding me to the floor and placing her arms tightly around me. We sit there for a while as I catch my breath and the remnants of pleasure begin to fade. I'm still warm and tingling all over, but not as much as before. My head rests on Victoria's chest, hearing her steady yet elevated heartbeat.

To think, a while back we decided to start on this journey in this very stall. It seems so long ago and to an extent it is. This is the very last thing I could have ever imagined myself doing in the dorm bathroom, but I don't regret it. Thinking about it, there is less chance of someone hearing us in here, as long as they don't actually come inside the room. Very few people circulate it this time of day, preferring to shower the second they get in. It's also out of the way of the main hallway and the walls aren't quite as thin as in the dorm rooms either.

_If someone had come in, I would've probably died of embarrassment._

After a few moments, Victoria rests her head against mine and whispers. "That was my apology."

"I should piss you off more often." I joke with a slight smirk, just about recovered from everything.

"Maybe you should." Her eyes glisten with contentment and love before she presses her lips to mine.

I have never felt so happy and alive as I am now with her. That is a feeling I hope never changes between us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a heads up, I will be capping this fic at 23 chapters. As much as I would love to continue this forever, there are other projects I want to move on to. I do have more Chasefield in the works though, and no doubt more ideas will pop up in time too, so you can have that to look forward to. Have a great day and see you next time.


	22. Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Christmas rapidly approaching, the girls' dorm get with the festive spirit and party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. I'm happy to be a little quicker with the update this time, for once. Anyways, enjoy this penultimate chapter.

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Catalyst**

**Day 90**

**Max's POV – Dana's Room – 8:34 pm**

Today is the day of the girls' dorm party to celebrate Christmas and New Years at Blackwell. Dana organized it all, eager to get her party on since we're part way through December now. She really went to town on the decorations, plastering the hallway and her dorm room with tinsel and other assorted sparkly objects. One stipulation was that everybody wear some kind of Christmassy jumper or accessory. Some people grumbled about it, Brooke especially, but didn't oppose it. They would be foolish to even try with Dana in charge.

I sip at my drink, trying my best not to spill it. When I look down at the jumper Rachel and Chloe picked out for me, I sigh. There is a reindeer on the front, with the words 'I'm horny' written above. It is a much better option than the other stuff they tried to get me in. Trust me on that. This is probably the first time all of us have been in the same room together. Even Stella, who usually has her head buried in a text book, has ventured out. There is just a really relaxed vibe, mostly. Chloe and Rachel still insist on messing with Victoria, but nobody's gotten hurt… yet.

"I can't believe it's nearly Christmas." Kate mentions, the antlers on her headband moving slightly as she shuffles in her seat. "Time goes too quickly."

"You're telling me." Stella agrees while readjusting her Santa hat, the bell on the end jingling lightly.

"So long as we actually get a holiday among all the work Mr. Jefferson is going to set us." Alyssa comments with a wistful sigh, playing with the tinsel she has fashioned into a necklace.

Chloe scoffs loudly at their negativity. She has of course chosen an obnoxious singing snowman jumper, using every opportunity to annoy Victoria and everyone else with it. Victoria had threatened to take it off by force, something that gave Chloe and Rachel something else to tease her about. Along the lines of being keen to get Chloe out of her clothes, although using a lot cruder in wording.

"Stop being such downers. Think of the presents, dude. Oh and the kickass food too." Her words come out slurred slightly thanks to the beer she's brought.

"I'm glad to see that you have the intended meaning of Christmas in mind." Rachel smirks, her blue feather earing replaced by a festive candy cane one. Not only that, but she has also worn a red jumper with the word Mistlehoe on it in green. She has used the accompanying image of mistletoe underneath as a catalyst for chaos, something she had already pissed Victoria off with tonight, more than once, by trying to mack on me and claiming it's 'tradition'. This didn't sit well with Victoria, as anyone could imagine.

"Like you can talk. I'm pretty sure Kate is the only one really paying attention to that." Chloe states matter-of-factly while taking another swig of her second beer.

"You're probably right, if my bible study group attendance is anything to go by." Kate points out, not sounding bitter about the joke at her expense in the slightest.

"Someone's got to make this nest of heathens pure again." Chloe grins, her cheeks carry a very light flush to them. This makes Kate laugh, a sweet, almost musical giggle.

Rachel crosses her arms and pouts. "Now I'm offended."

Chloe turns her attention to Rachel, her drunken smirk widening. "Good, because I was mostly referring to you."

"You are such a bitch, you know that?" Rachel chuckles while jabbing her in the ribs.

"I do my best. I'm still not number one for that though." Her eyes wander over to Victoria, who is sat beside me of course. She was reluctant to come tonight, wanting to spend the rest of our time at Blackwell alone with me. I promised that we would have plenty of other opportunities to be alone together before the break. Even during. Since we both live in Seattle, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that we could meet up if we wanted to, which we will. She too has gone for a jumper with 'Santa's favorite ho' on it. It makes me feel a little more comfortable knowing I'm not the only one with a mildly embarrassing jumper on, besides Rachel but she doesn't seem to ever get flustered.

Victoria narrows her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that was aimed at me?"

"I didn't say anything…" Chloe grinned innocently.

"But you implied it." Taylor and Courtney exchange deliberate glances at Victoria's tone, probably worried that this might turn into an all-out war.

Chloe just shrugs at this. "If it's any consolation, you haven't been _quite_ as much of a bitch recently."

There is a short pause before Victoria replies. "I don't need approval from you."

I grab hold of her hand, trying to diffuse the situation. "Now Victoria, play nice. You too Chloe."

"Fine, only because it's you, Super Max." Chloe concedes, leaning back in her seat.

"Whatever. I don't want to waste my time and energy on someone like you anyway." Victoria mutters in mild irritation, more to herself than anyone.

"I think it's time for another game, don't you?" Dana swiftly interjects, noticing the increased tension.

Without warning, Chloe stands up abruptly and grabs my arm. "Not for me or Maximus here. We need a little heart to heart. I'll bring her back in one piece. Maybe."

"Wait, what are you-?" Before I can finish, Chloe pulls me out of my seat and drags me out of the room, down the stairs and outside into the cold.

When we come to a stop just beside the entrance, I shiver lightly from the wind, rubbing my arms to get some circulation going. "I can't keep up with you sometimes."

She offers up a cheeky smirk. "That's how I roll."

I find myself returning the smile. "Don't I know it. Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

Chloe doesn't speak right away, taking her time to gather her thoughts. "Nothing in particular. I just wanted to pull you away from Victoria for five seconds, before she had the chance to steal you away and get busy under the mistletoe."

"You have no tact." I mumble, my cheeks heating up ever so slightly at her words. It is something that has crossed my mind over the night, the cheesy romantic sap I am. The more happy memories I can make with Victoria, the better.

"One of my many charms." Chloe grins as she pulls out a cigarette and her lighter, cursing under her breath when it doesn't start up straight away. Finally, she manages to get it going, inhaling the smoke deeply before exhaling. "You know, sometimes I'm kind of jealous of Victoria."

"Yeah?"

Again, Chloe takes her time before responding. "She always gets to spend so much time with you and does stuff I can't with you. I just get hella possessive I guess."

"I couldn't tell." I grin wryly.

"Enough with the sass, Caulfield," Chloe nudged my shoulder, allowing the smoke from her cigarette to billow around her in a wisp. "You know, I thought the only person good enough for you would be me. I dreaded the day that you'd turn round and say you hooked up with someone. Especially if they turned out to be some no good asshole."

"Do you doubt my choices that much?"

Chloe shakes her head. "No, it's just that some people hide their true colors at first. With Victoria though, she's kind of the opposite."

Curious to know what she's thinking, I decide to prompt her. "How so?"

"Well, I thought she was a major asshole, but it appears she's not as bad as I first thought. That's your fault, Caulfield." She flashes me an accusatory mock glare.

Her mock indignence gets me chuckling. "I guess I got lucky."

"I guess you did." Chloe goes uncharacteristically quite then, her brow furrowing slightly. After a while, she turns to me with hesitancy. "Do you ever wonder what would have happened if things between us had turned out different? Just out of curiosity."

The thought had crossed my mind several times over the years. Chloe and I had been so close as kids, as thick as thieves. If given the chance, that bond could have gone so many places. Things were how they were now and I wouldn't change them, but it doesn't stop me from thinking about it sometimes. What if I had done one little thing different? Where would I be now?

"Sometimes." I admit, feeling conflicted.

"It's strange to think of the possibilities sometimes. Maybe somewhere there are a ton of parallel universes where we made different choices and had different experiences." She suggests thoughtfully while taking another swig from the bottle in her hand.

"Maybe. It's kind of a mindfuck to think about." I confess, not even wanting to start that train of thought right now for fear of getting a major headache.

"I hear that. You never know, maybe there's even one where we're dating." Chloe's tone seemed only half-teasing.

"I like to think there would be at least one like that. Even if it's not this one." That sentiment is tinged with melancholy. Different circumstances breed polarized outcomes.

"If that's the case, then there is at least one very lucky Chloe Price out there and one unlucky, bitchy Victoria Chase. Guess it's kind of redundant now anyway. This is why I shouldn't drink." Chloe mentions as she flicks her cigarette away, stomping the remaining embers out with her boot.

"I like the sappier side of you." I lightly tease, trying to raise the mood.

"Only because you can blackmail me about it." Chloe scoffed, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"No…" I smile innocently.

She doesn't seem all that convinced. "There's no fooling me, Caulfield. Anyway, we'd best get back before Victoria sends out a search party or something."

"Probably."

We both make our way back inside, resuming our positions in Dana's room. The rest of the night continues without too much trouble, thankfully. After some games, music, food and drink, chatting and celebrating in general, everybody begins to filter back to their respective rooms. I clutch at my bag as Victoria and I head off into her room. We get settled on her bed, our feet dangling off the edge.

"I snagged some mistletoe." I announce triumphantly as I take it from my pocket, holding it up for Victoria to see.

"You're such a dork." She shakes her head and smiles at me.

"And proud to be." I add, not allowing my dorkiness to be sniffed at.

"I suppose I can play along with your games." Victoria whispered lowly, her face now inches from mine.

"I was counting on it." I don't need to be psychic or magic to see where this is going. Making up the rest of the distance, I press my lips against Victoria's, just like we have done so many times before. Too many to count. My heart melts as we share this special moment, not wanting it to end. That is how I feel about almost every second I spend by Victoria's side. When we finally pull apart again, both of us have huge smiles on our faces. It's scary to think that if I did one single thing different, this might not even be happening. I'm eternally grateful that it did. My mind wanders back to the parcels in my bag.

"Want to open up gifts?" I suggest, eager to see Victoria's reaction to what I got for her. She's the first one I want to give something to this year.

Victoria seems a little confused. "Isn't it a bit early for that?"

"Aren't you prepared?" I ask, knowing that she is almost certainly prepared by now.

Her tone becomes a little defensive here. "I am, but I thought you'd want to wait."

I shake my head. "I want to make sure I'm here with you when you open it."

"I have no objections and I suppose I can go first." Victoria volunteers as she pulls out two wrapped up gifts from underneath her bed. She passes them over to me confidently. Keen to see what's inside, I take the smaller of the two presents and unceremoniously rip into the reindeer paper. A fond smile forms on my lips as I notice a DVD case I know well, having drooled over it enough times but never actually brought. "I got you Spirits Within so you can quit bugging me about getting it… and I thought that if it meant that much to you that we could watch it together sometime. Only once though."

"And you call _me_ a dork," I chuckle as I get to work on the other present, which is in a shoebox sized box. Eager to know what's inside I pull the lid off, my eyes widening as I realize what's inside. There is a ton of polaroid film, the box completely filled to the brim. Still in shock, I take out a pack and turn it over in my hands. When the sight before me registers properly, I lift my head to meet Victoria's eyes. "Victoria, how much did you spend on this?"

She leans in and places a kiss on my forehead. "Not enough. I'm expecting half of this to be used on us, so it's fine."

"Now it kind of makes what I got you stupid." I mumble, any confidence I had in my idea wavering.

She takes hold of my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Max, I'm sure I will love whatever you've got me."

Gaining a bit of self-assurance back because of her encouragements, I begin to fumble around in my bag. "Well, I sat there for ages thinking what do I give the girl who can afford pretty much anything she wants. Then it hit me, I have to get something money can't buy. Something more unique."

My fingers find what I'm looking for, a small paper bag. I pull it out carefully and hand it over to her. Mild curiosity crossing her normally stoic features, Victoria reaches inside the bag and pulls out a thin bracelet. It's a bit clumsily made, but seems to be holding together much to my relief. Red and purple thread intertwines with various pale colored beads strung along it at irregular intervals.

"Rachel helped me make it, since I had literally no clue what I was doing," I clarify, wanting her to know that I had a hand in the process. I remember seeing Chloe and Rachel with them before. When I asked about them, Rachel explained that she made them and said she'd show me how. It took a while, but eventually I managed to make something decent. I lift my left wrist to show a blue and red version of the bracelet sat there. "And here's the matching one. I wasn't quite sure what to put on it, not wanting to be _too_ cheesy or anything. We can add stuff of course, but I didn't want to go making decisions for both of us and…" It's then I realize that I'm rambling and cut myself off.

Victoria carefully turns it over in her hands. "Trust you to make something so twee and hipstery."

"Did you expect anything less?" I ask, knowing the answer already.

She rolls her eyes playfully at me. "I guess not. Still, you couldn't have chosen something less compatible with literally all my outfits, could you?"

"If I'd tried I could've." I cheekily add.

Despite her mild complaint, she almost immediately begins putting it on her wrist. "I suppose I can get used to it. I got used to you after all."

"Ouch, low blow." I chuckle heartily, knowing that she doesn't mean that.

Once it's on, she examines the bracelet with a smile before glancing back up at me. "Well, I'm not ever taking off now and if anyone tries they will regret it."

I then reach into my bag and pull out the larger present, one I am pretty proud of. My heart races as I hand it over, hoping that she will like it. Victoria isn't quite as violent as me when it comes to opening presents, taking her time and making me squirm. When she finally opens it, her brow furrows slightly in confusion. It would make sense, since this is the very notebook I told her I would be using for school work, the one I got while in Seattle. She stares at it for a moment before slowly flicking through the pages, her eyes widening slightly. I gathered together some of our photos to use, the less blurry ones mostly, as well as including some drawings and random mementos from our journeys like ticket stubs. There are also a few blank pages near the back.

When she reaches them, I clarify for her. "I thought that we could add to it as we go too."

Victoria appears to be speechless at first, a rare occasion. "Max… you are such a sentimental dork."

"You know it." We reposition ourselves on the bed, snuggled up close. "Whatever happens next, I am so happy that you forcibly entered my life. There is no way I would have gotten to know the real you otherwise."

She tightens her hold on me. "My lack of subtlety is something we can both be glad for."

My conversation with Chloe got me thinking about other possibilities, what could have happened if certain opportunities had been missed or not even presented. "Do you ever wonder what it might have been like if we hated each other's guts?"

She gets a very thoughtful expression on her face then, tinged with sadness. "Sometimes. I would have probably been jealous of you and bullied you before. Not that I'm proud to admit that."

"Well, you're different now. As long as you learn, that's the important thing." I point out, resting my head on her shoulder with a soft sigh.

Victoria takes one of my hands in hers, playing with it gently. "Thanks to you."

I carefully bump my head against hers. "You're giving me too much credit. You've got to want to change before you can. Nobody can force you."

"Sometimes you need something, or someone, to catalyze it though." After gazing deeply into my eyes, she leans in and kisses me tenderly, putting a lot of emotion behind it. I return the sentiment, trying to convey just how much I love and appreciate her. Sometimes, words really just aren't enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shame this chapter isn’t released a little closer to Christmas, but hey. I wouldn’t be that cruel to make you wait. Have an awesome day, stay safe and see you next time for the finale.


	23. Just the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here is the very last chapter for you. I hope that you enjoy it.

**Epilogue:** **Just the Beginning**

**A few years later – Max's POV**

There is a mirror in front of me showing my reflection. I almost don't look like myself now, in a good way. Mom helped me get ready earlier and she nearly cried. I've never seen her so emotional. She almost had me and dad going too. Thankfully we all managed to stave off the tears and I avoided having to get my makeup done again. Now I just have to wait around until everything is ready, which shouldn't be too long.

_I am excited, and kind of nervous too, but there is no way I could ever regret this decision._

"Never thought I'd see you in a dress." A mischievous voice echoes from behind, one I know all too well. I turn to see Chloe there in a tux, of course, grinning at me.

"Well, don't get used to it." I mumble, suddenly feeling self-conscious about it. The dress I'm wearing is a simple, sleeveless porcelain dress. I couldn't deal with it being too puffy or anything, totally not my style. There is some delicate floral lace from the neckline to the top of the skirt, but nothing too overstated.

_Maybe this really doesn't suit me…_

Chloe picks up on that, shaking her head. She approaches me, placing her hands on my shoulders and locking her eyes on mine. "Don't even start regretting your choice now. It looks good on you, different but good."

"I guess I'm just a bit nervous." I admit, exhaling deeply to calm myself down.

"It's a big deal, but I know you can handle it just fine. You always do." Chloe gently nudges my shoulder and offers up a reassuring grin. "You're Max fucking Caulfield after all."

_Trust Chloe to be the one to keep me sane right now._

An appreciative smile tugs at my lips. "Thanks for the pep talk."

Mischief twinkles in her blue eyes. "Well, that's why I'm here. Pep talks and witty one-liners. Anyway, enough of that. You'll keep Victoria waiting and I don't think that'll put you in her good books."

"You might have a point there." I agree, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Of course I have a point. You don't want to start off your married life with that kind of argument material," Chloe mentions only half-joking as she pats me on the back. "See you on stage, rockstar."

A few moments after she has left the room there is a knock at the door. I turn to see dad standing there in the doorway with a gentle smile on his face. "Maxine, it's time."

I exhale deeply, trying to clear my mind of distractions as I stand up and follow him out. "Right, okay."

_Ok, Max. Play it cool. Don't trip over or anything. You'll just embarrass yourself on probably the most well documented day of your life. No biggie._

What started out as a pep-talk has now turned into a spiral of self-doubt. I shake away the worries, vowing to just enjoy myself. There is nothing to fear today. We make our way out of the prep room and over to where the ceremony will be taking place, my heart racing with each step. The event is pretty private, with only those closest to us invited, family and close friends mostly made at our time in Blackwell. We decided against a Church since neither of us are religious and guests like Chloe or Rachel would not be able to behave there.

When we reach the main room I walk down the middle walkway, my arm linked with dad's. Chairs line the outside, filled with relatives and friends. Among the crowd are people like Kate, Dana, Taylor, Courtney, Nathan, along with Chloe and Rachel of course. They wolf-whistle inappropriately as I pass them, to which I roll my eyes. After briefly scowling at the mischievous pair Victoria turns her attention to me and smiles, one I can't help but return. All my worries temporarily vanish when I see her. More so than ever, she looks stunning and a huge part of me can't believe that I am marrying her today. Her dress is a bit more elaborate than mine, but nothing too in your face. I stand before her, just waiting for the dream to end. Much to my delight, it doesn't.

Once everyone is settled, the ceremony begins. The officiant's words seem to merge into one as I stand there in front of our nearest and dearest, gazing deeply into the eyes of the woman I love more than anything in this world. Never in a million years could I have even imagined this scenario, let alone believed that I would be living it. I lucked out big time.

"Max, vows." Victoria whispers to catch my attention, giving me a meaningful look.

"Hmm… oh, s-sorry." I feel my cheeks redden as I clear my throat. Victoria just smiles at me while shaking her head, playfully rolling her eyes. A collective chuckle comes from those gathered here to watch at my lack of awareness. I gently take hold of her hands with my slightly shaking ones and look into her eyes. "Victoria, when I first met you I was actually pretty scared. I did briefly consider that I might become the next victim of a serial killer. Instead, I became a victim of your countless charms. You took my heart, in a figurative sense thankfully. Now, I can't even picture going back to the way things were before we met. Not even for a second. With that in mind, I promise to remain by your side and spend every single moment making you happy."

Her lip quirks upwards into a smile and her expression softens. "Max, all I can really say is that moment we met and took the first few steps on our journey together was easily the best one of my life. An initial physical attraction quickly turned into the deepest and most beautiful relationship I have ever had. You bring out the best in me, a side I didn't think I had."

"Neither did we." Rachel mutters loud enough for everyone to hear, earning her a quiet high five from Chloe.

Victoria reluctantly ignores them this time, focusing entirely on me. "All I can say is thank you, Max. Thank you for coming into my life and for just being you. I will do everything within my power to make our time together special and happy. There is nobody I'd rather spend my life with."

With our vows said, Chloe slips out of her seat with the rings. She was surprisingly adamant about being the person to do this. Neither Victoria nor I could deny her that job. We chose white gold rings with a vine-like pattern engraved into it and small diamonds placed at the ends, like leaves. Nothing too quirky or elaborate. Chloe winks at me as she hands out the rings before returning to her seat. It's my turn first. I take hold of Victoria's hand and slide the ring onto her finger. A moment later she returns the favor.

Now that the rings have been exchanged, the officiant moves on to the last part of the official ceremony. "Max and Victoria, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you married! You may now kiss!"

That is something I don't need to be told twice. I kiss those lips I have kissed so many times before today. This time we are sealing our promise to remain by each other's side, through thick and thin… a promise I will fight to keep for as long as I live. Now that the official ceremony has finished, we all move outside to get our photos done to commemorate the day. After gaining both mine and Victoria's photographic approval, we head on back inside for the reception.

"Dude I am starved now. When's that cake getting cut?" Chloe whines as we approach the room designated for the reception, filled with tables and chairs as well as a space for dancing and a bar area.

I shake my head at her. "Trust you to say that."

Before I enter the room, I feel someone pull back on my arm. I turn to see Victoria standing there with an irresistible look in her eyes. Everybody briefly glances back at us but soon continue on their way, figuring that we want a moment to ourselves before the major celebrations get underway. I let her lead me out of sight, wondering what she's up to. When we are in a quiet spot, she turns to me and pulls me into a hug. Without hesitation, I return her hug just enjoying the moment of respite.

"You know, part of me wants to skip all this and just have you to myself." Victoria whispers in my ear.

"Me too, but we can't leave our adoring public." I joke although I have to admit that the thought has crossed my mind too.

"I guess not," she gently pulls away, reluctantly accepting her fate. "It doesn't keep me from wanting to ditch."

I reach up and place a hand on her cheek. "There will be plenty of time to spend alone soon."

"I'm holding you to that." She mentions only half-joking.

"You'd better." I stand on my tiptoes and kiss her again, finding it almost impossible to end this moment. Victoria seems to feel the same way given her behavior right now. She holds me close, kissing me tenderly. To think that a school crush all those years ago could result in something as amazing as this is almost unfathomable for me, especially with someone like Victoria Chase. I don't think I'll ever be able to get my head around it, but maybe I don't have to.

What's important is that we are here together and this is just the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this has been fun to write. It seems like such a long time ago since I started writing this. I guess it kind of is, being about a year of on and off writing. Like I said before, expect more Chasefield on the way. If there are any ideas you would like to see, for this or another amazingly gay af LIS ship, I am more than happy to hear them and have a go at writing them if and when I think I can. Have an amazing day, take care of yourself and I hope to see you in another story.
> 
> Most importantly, thank you for reading the story!


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